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2025-2026 / DROI8062-1

European Migration Law

Duration

24h Th

Number of credits

 Master in law, professional focus in public law (Odd years, organized in 2025-2026) 5 crédits 
 Extra courses intended for exchange students (Erasmus, ...) (Faculty of Law, Political Science and Criminology) (Odd years, organized in 2025-2026) 5 crédits 

Lecturer

Patrick Wautelet

Substitute(s)

Luc Leboeuf

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

This course focuses on the regulation of migration by the European Union. Although the EU is a relatively new actor in the field of migration, the EU has adopted a significant number of rules and instruments which constrain the migration policy of Member States.

The course will cover both voluntary and forced migration.

After a brief introduction, the course will cover (1) freedom of movement, (2) access to EU territory, (3) the Common European Asylum System, (4) Family Reunification, (5) Economic Migration and (6) Returns. 

Although the course is mainly focussed on the EU, attention will also be paid to the impact of international human rights law (in particular the right to family life) and international law in general.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

  • Identify the EU institutional actors in the field, their competences, and understand the role they're playing in legal developments (including how they interact with member states competences, and how they address tensions between the EU law and international law, including the ECHR and the 1951 Geneva Convention);
  • Identify the relevant directives and regulations, and understand their scope of application and how they operate with national provisions;
  • Understand and mobilise the legal content of the relevant EU directives and regulations, with particular attention to their consequences on migrants' rights;
  • Reflect on regulatory dynamics in the field, including on the relationships between the EU, international and national legal orders ; between EU provisions of secondary law and of primary law (including the EU Charter) ; on the tensions between the EU integration process in the field and human rights protection ; and on how EU institutional actors have sought to address them so far.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

- a good knowledge of EU law

- some knowledge of international law

- a solid command of the English language

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face course


Further information:

The course will mainly be taught lecture style. Active participation from students will, however, be warmly encouraged.

Course materials and recommended or required readings

Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus


Further information:

All relevant materials (ppt, additional materials such as relevant statutory instruments) will be posted on eCampus.

Facultative readings : P. Boeles, M. Den Heijer, G. Lodder & K. Wouters, European Migration Law, 2nd edition, Intersentia, 2014.

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions ) AND oral exam


Further information:

The evaluation will in principle take the form of a written examination. The written examination willk mainly consists of opend-ended questions. Some MCQ may, however, be included. If circumstances so dictate, the examination may also take the form of an oral examination. Further details will be announced during the first meetings.

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

Contacts

Students may contact:

Patrick Wautelet - patrick.wautelet@uliege.be

Luc Leboeuf - luc.leboeuf@uliege.be

Association of one or more MOOCs