Content, progress and pedagogy of the module

• To supplement the student’s knowledge and skills in a way that may form part of the student’s choice of educational and professional profile

Learning objectives

Knowledge

• Population movements: Refugee protection and migration control
• Legal and institutional framework on refugee protection.
• The interface with public international law, including human rights and treaty law.  
• The role of institutions such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the EU in refugee protection.
• The Refugee Convention definition and complementary forms of protection, including human rights protection of refugees.
• The concept of non-refoulement, and those of inclusion, loss and denial of refugee status.
• Topical issues such as ‘war-refugees’, gender-related persecution, ‘environmental refugees’ and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).  
• The role of international refugee law in specific contexts, for example the ‘war on terror’ and the current ‘European refugee crisis’.

Skills

• Explaining the legal standing of refugee protection in international law and outlining generally its relationship with other bodies of public international law.
• Analysing and applying concepts, terminology and topical issues integral to the course.
• Identifying legal problems in regional and international refugee law and applying relevant sources of law in solving these.
• Describing the impact and status of refugee law in national jurisdiction.
• Researching, presenting and analyzing international and municipal asylum case law, as well as UNHCR recommendations and guidelines pertaining to refugee protection.
• Presenting and analyzing the content of substantive provisions as contained in refugee law instruments.
• Discussing the changing needs and shared expectations of the international community as regards contemporary refugee law.
• Explaining human rights and refugee law implications of the current ‘European refugee crisis’.
• Communicating issues relating to migration and international refugee law in a clear and well-structured manner, using the applicable terminology.

Competences

• explain issues pertaining to international refugee law and reflect and analyze  critically
• assess and analyse rules and regulations as well as the consequences of the rules
• qualify identified legal issues within international refugee law
• be able to work problem-oriented by independently composing a problem and working in an analytical and structured manner
• become responsible for own learning, development and specialization within the frames international refugee law.
• become able to provide advice on the content of international refugee law and the consequences of violating the legal framework relating to refugee protection.

Type of instruction

• Workshops

Extent and expected workload

• 270 hours

Exam

Prerequisite for enrollment for the exam

• Synopsis handed in on time

Exams