Borders, Migration and Criminal Justice (Level 5)

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 5
• Convenor: to be confirmed
• Assessment: a 2500-word essay (100%)

In this module we introduce you to the emerging field of study known as border criminology, which considers the shifting nature of criminal justice under conditions of mass mobility. It examines the connections between security, migration control, criminal justice and penality, while paying attention to issues of race, gender and class in how different jurisdictions respond to and govern human mobility.

The module gives an overview of criminological theories, methodologies and debates for understanding such topics as immigration detention, deportation, border policing, ‘crimmigration’ law and the imprisonment of foreign-nationals, both in the UK and elsewhere. It will also provide you with an opportunity to critically consider an emerging area of criminological theory and research that has generated much interest and scholarship over the past two decades.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• understand different border control and citizenship practices both in the UK and internationally
• understand the key concepts, principles, policies and range of practices related to migration and border control from criminological perspectives
• analyse and assess the tensions between state sovereignty, mass mobility, globalisation and inequality
• identify key critiques of contemporary border and migration control practices
• appreciate the social, historical, political, cultural, and economic contexts of recent trends in migration and its control
• identify the strengths and weaknesses of criminology and criminal justice perspectives to understanding issues of migration, citizenship and border control
• engage with different theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches to understand their purposes, functions and effects
• cultivate a critical stance by posing thoughtful questions, carefully interrogating assumptions and considering alternative perspectives
• appreciate the importance of social and cultural contexts for understanding social policy and practice.