Why Do People Migrate? Part 1: Facts

This course provides a general introduction to the conditions of refugees, asylum seekers and irregular migrants worldwide (data, regions, etc.) and an overview of the terminology used. It then analyses specific cases in the most relevant geographical contexts, including the asylum seekers arriving in Europe through the Mediterranean, the undocumented Mexican migrants crossing the US border, the Syrian refugees in Turkey and the Rohingya in Australia. In discussing these cases, we will explore the dilemmas behind humanitarian protection and irregular migration for labour purposes.

The course is based on video lectures, didactic videos and podcast interviews with international experts. Assignments consist of short quizzes for each unit and a journal exercise at the end of the course. Suggestions for further reading will be included in order to achieve a more in-depth understanding.

To learn more about the theories that explain international migration, check out Part 2: Theories