Migration and Citizenship in the EU

This course addresses migration law and EU citizenship within the European Union from a constitutional and fundamental rights perspective. The course focuses in-depth on the concept of EU and non-EU citizenship, explains how the concept of transnational citizenship evolved beyond the borders of a nation-state in European history, how the different legal orders (international, European and national) interact in the field of EU citizenship and migration law. Another important and related topic is family reunification.

The course takes a constitutional, institutional human rights approach to migration law, looking at the different institutions (legislators, administration, and courts) involved in the decision-making at stake. The course will discuss how the relationship between the state, the EU and citizens is shaped by EU citizenship. In addition, the course explains how human rights play an important role for the protection of third-country nationals and EU citizens. Such rights include the rights of the child or the right to family life, but also social rights in the field of labour migration, and legal protection against expulsion or entry bans based on public order or national security grounds.

In the weekly lectures, we will take a closer look at the multi-layered framework of citizenship and migration law and in the weekly seminar groups this framework will be applied to individual cases. We will discuss complex legal and political questions, such as what place does nationality have in family reunification and citizenship in the EU? How can we reconcile the two concepts in line with fundamental rights?

Place of the course within the curriculum:

• Compulsory course in the specialisation European Migration Law of the master European Law

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After this course:

• the student will understand the multilayered field of migration law, including EU legislation, international treaties and national laws;
• the student will understand the nexus between migration and EU citizenship as well as between family reunification of EU citizens with third-country nationals and between third-country nationals;
• the student will be able to apply relevant laws and principles to complex EU citizenship and migration cases;
• the student can write a well-structured and argued legal argument, using different legal sources and literature.

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You will be enrolled for this course by administration of the programme of this course.

You must meet the following requirements

• Enrolled for a degree programme of faculty Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance
• Completed Bachelor