Immigration situation and immigration policy

Full syllabus of the course

Aims of the course:

  1. Conveying general knowledge on international migration with an emphasis on the state, regional and global levels of possible analysis.
  2. Presentation of the theoretical framework covering the issues such as: migration dynamics and the role of the state, migration policy, immigration versus emigration, integration of immigrants.
  3. Analysis of selected EU member states in terms of their current immigration situation, immigrant and foreign population, and exercised immigration policies.
  4. Developing the students' ability to analyze the immigration policy and to evaluate its effectiveness and efficiency based on specific examples.
  5. Increasing the students’ awareness of the fact that formulating a targeted and consistent immigration policy is crucial to face the current and future migration challenges.
  6. Awakening students' observation skills and sensitivity to the problems of international migrations, their multidimensional causes and consequences for contemporary societies sending and receiving migrants.

Programme of the course:

Topics 1-5 offer an introduction to the general knowledge on international migration and its theoretical framework. Topics 6-13 encompass the issues such as immigration, immigrant and foreign population, and immigration policy based on the example of selected EU member states. Topics 14-15 tackle these issues from the EU perspective and compare the common migration policy with EU member states' policies to identify the extent of their Europeanization.

  1. International migration – introduction. Review of migration theories, key terms and general trends. Three levels of analysis – national, regional and global.
  2. International organizations with a global reach and the problem of international migration. United Nations, International Organization for Migration, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
  3. International organizations with a regional reach and the problem of international migration. The case study of the EU.
  4. State and migration. Borders. Citizenship. Nationality. Minorities. Diaspora.
  5. Migration policy – scope, goals, assumptions, mechanisms and tools, stakeholders. Immigration versus emigration. Immigration policy versus emigration policy. Immigration and integration of immigrants. Immigration policy and integration policy.
  6. Immigration to France. Immigrant and foreign population. Immigration policy.
  7. Immigration to the United Kingdom. Immigrant and foreign population. Immigration policy.
  8. Immigration to Germany. Immigrant and foreign population. Immigration policy.
  9. Immigration to Benelux states (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg). Immigrant and foreign population. Immigration policy.
  10. Immigration to Italy and Greece. Immigrant and foreign population. Immigration policy.
  11. Immigration to Sweden and Denmark. Immigrant and foreign population. Immigration policy.
  12. Immigration to the Visegrad Group (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia). Immigrant and foreign population. Immigration policy.
  13. Immigration to the Baltic states (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia). Immigrant and foreign population. Immigration policy.
  14. Immigration to the European Union. Immigrant and foreign population. EU migration policy versus policies of selected EU member states. Europeanization of state policies?
  15. EU member states' response to the recent migrant and refugee crises in Europe.