This course is part of the Critical International Migration Law ExpertTrack
Law and the Framing of Migrants and Migration
Explore how discourses and law frame migrants and migration and whether the notion of migration crisis is justified.
![](https://ugc.futurelearn.com/uploads/images/2b/7d/header_2b7db3b5-f562-4baa-b7d6-677581848a7d.jpg)
Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
3 hours100% online
How it worksIncluded in an ExpertTrack
Course 1 of 3
Law and the Framing of Migrants and Migration
Examine how terminology affects public opinions on migrants
Civil war, violence, political instability and other reasons force millions of people to migrate every year, often in perilous conditions, often having no option but to put their trust in smugglers or traffickers who profit from their pain.
On this course, you’ll delve into the history of migration and why people move, before looking at the terminology that’s used to describe migrants and how that can affect narratives surrounding migration.
Investigate sources of international migration law
Migration is mainly governed by national immigration laws, but behind them sits a set of international legal instruments.
Can the law really make a difference in the complex and intertwined story of modern migration, and does it exist to protect people or borders?
You’ll develop tools for critical analysis of migration, allowing you to consider the shortcomings of international migration law. Then you’ll look at sovereignty, what it is, and why it’s relevant to migration.
Analyse media depictions of migration and migrants
The way the media frames migration has a huge effect on the public and even how laws are formulated. It’s important to understand how the media can influence the narrative around migrants and how they are treated.
You’ll assess the media’s role in migration, public opinion, and law by analysing its depictions of migrants and how it covers migration-related stories.
Understand what is meant by a migration crisis
This course will take you through a scholarly analysis of migrants as threats, which will bring you to a discussion on what is meant by the notion of migration crises. Using the tools you’ve developed, you’ll begin to critique the notion of migration crises, how this narrative has formed and the impact this has on migrants and migration.
What topics will you cover?
- What is meant by a critical approach to international migration law
- What constitutes international migration law?
- Discourses on migration
- Migration crises
Prove you're job ready
Highlight the new, job-relevant skills you’ve gained and supplement existing qualifications with a hard-earned, industry-specific digital certificate – plus one for every course within your ExpertTrack.
- Learn the latest in your chosen industry or subject.
- Complete each course and pass assessments.
- Receive certificates validated by the educating organisation.
- Impress employers with learning outcomes you can add to your CV.
- Make your career dreams a reality.
Download a PDF
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Identify sources of international migration law
- Evaluate the ways the media and politicians shape the debates about migrants and migration
- Develop tools to engage in a critical analysis of global migration
- Engage in a critique about migration crises
Who is the course for?
This course has been designed for anyone looking to develop a critical understanding of migration laws. It will be of specific interest to people working for national and international governmental and non-governmental organisations involved in the field of migration, and also lawyers wanting to deepen their knowledge base.
Who will you learn with?
I am Senior Lecturer in Law at Kent Law School, University of Kent. I specialise in International Human Rights Law and International Migration Law.
Start learning today - free 2-day trial
After your free trial you can:
- Pay $39 per month to keep learning online
- Have complete control over your subscription; you can cancel any time
- Work at your own pace and set your own deadlines at every stage
- Only pay while you’re learning; the subscription will cancel automatically when you finish
- Complete online assessments to test your knowledge and prove your skills
- Earn digital course certificates and a final award that you can share online, with potential employers, and your professional network
- Keep access to the content of courses you complete even after your subscription ends
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn
Learner reviews
Get a taste of this course
Find out what this course is like by previewing some of the course steps before you join: