The migration of people across international borders has become an increasing global concern over recent years, with diverse bordering practices spanning multiple geographical sites. This module examines contemporary developments in migration governance and considers how the contested politics of human mobility is enacted across a range of different sites and contexts. It invites critical reflection on the conceptual grounds that shape contemporary bordering practices, as well as on the ways that lived experiences of migration are shaped by categories of governance.

The first part of the module explores how ideas of sovereignty, security, citizenship and free movement shape migration and its governance. It examines these in relation to a range of bordering practices, such as border walls, detention and deportation. The second part of the module explores the ways in which processes of categorisation produce different ‘figures’ of migration, such as the ‘refugee’ and the ‘irregular migrant’. It examines how these categories both impact migratory experiences and generate resistance and contestation.