This course promotes an inquiry-based learning The course examines the EU neighbourhood policy (ENP), with particular attention to its institutional framework and its relations with EU migration and asylum policy. The ENP was launched to foster prosperity, stability and security in the EU’s neighbours through the promotion of good governance, the rule of law and free market economy. This policy framework has been strongly linked EU migration and asylum policies, especially regarding the EU’s relations with Eastern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The course therefore aims to discuss: the evolution and functioning of the ENP, in its three main geographical dimensions; the relationship between ENP and EU migration and asylum policy; and to analyse the different dimensions of EU migration and asylum policy, with specific attention to the neighbourhood.

Knowledge and understanding: students will have acquired a comprehensive understanding of the EU institutional architecture and of the nature of its decision-making processes in the ENP and migration fields; a deeper knowledge of the main actors in the ENP and of the main EU policy instruments on migration and asylum; a thorough understanding of how and why EU member states cooperate (or not) on migration/asylum issues and how and why EU migration/asylum policies influence national policies; a clear understanding of the context and history of EU cooperation regarding migration and asylum. During the course, such knowledge will be assessed across the board, combining discussion in workshops, group presentations and formal exams (midterm and finals). Applying knowledge and understanding: students will have acquired the ability to critically assess the opportunities and limitations for decision-making in the EU’s neighbourhood and migration/asylum policies; the awareness of the legitimacy and effectiveness of EU institutions, both individually and collectively, in addressing neighbourhood and migrations/asylum policies; the skills to discuss and analyse the nature of EU institutions and of the wider decision-making process; the ability to understand and discuss the status of countries neighbouring the EU and their interests in the ENP; the skills to explain the place of the ENP within the context of EU foreign policy and produce analytical approaches to specific aspects of the ENP based on the theoretical knowledge acquired throughout the course. Making judgements: students will have developed the necessary skills to formulate independent judgements concerning the topics of the course. Specifically, students will be able to put forward arguments in a clear and structured manner, and to base them on empirical cases discussed during the course. Communication skills: students will have developed, also thanks to workshops and seminars, the necessary skills to express the main concepts of the course in a clear and exhaustive way, and to question specific aspects related to the topics of the course. At the end of the course, students will be able to address both practitioners and non-experts alike. Learning skills: students will have developed good command of the concepts and topics of the course. Such command will be useful to pursue successive learning paths in full autonomy and independence. Students’ skills will be further stimulated through participation in workshops and seminars based on the reading and understanding of reference books.

The following topics will be covered in the course: – The Origins and Evolution of the European Neighbourhood Policy – The Institutional Framework and Governance of the European Neighbourhood Policy – The European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement – The ENP Eastern Dimension and the Black Sea Synergy – The ENP Southern Dimension – Migration and Migration Policy in the EU – The Governance of EU Migration and Asylum Policy – The European Neighbourhood Policy and Migration – Labour Migration and Family Migration – Irregular Immigration – EU Asylum Policy – The Securitization and Politicization of Migration

Schumacher, T. Marchetti, A. and Demmelhuber, T. (eds.) (2018) The Routledge Handbook on the European Neighbourhood Policy (London: Routledge). Geddes, A., Hadj-Abdou, L. and Brumat, L. (2020) Migration and Mobility in the European Union (London: Red Globe Press) (2nd Edition). For each class, there will be additional required and recommended readings.

The course will be taught through a combination of online and frontal lectures, workshops and interactive class discussion.

Mandatory for attending students: exam with multiple-choice questions (50%); group presentations (20%); written final exam with 3 open-ended questions (30%). The exam with multiple-choice questions will take place during the course and will consist of 45 questions on the topics discussed in class until the exam. Students will have 40 minutes to complete it. The multiple-choice questions exam will be held in Week 6. Only attending students (with an attendance of at least 80% throughout the course) will be able to take the exam during the course. Attending students will give group presentations on the recommended readings starting from week 7 until week 11. The instructor will discuss the topic in the first part of the seminar and a group of 2-3 students will hold the presentation in the second half. Each student will have 10 minutes to present and class discussion will follow. The presentations will be graded individually. The written final exam with open-ended questions will be held on the day of the first exam session (appello) after the end of the course. It will consist of 3 open-ended questions on the entire programme of the course. Students will have 1 hour to complete it. Those students that did not take the exam with multiple-choice questions during the course, rejected the grade received for the that exam or did not participate in group presentations during the course will be considered as non-attending students. They will be able to take the exam with multiple-choice questions and the exam with open-ended questions starting from the first exam session after the end of the course. In their case, the multiple-choice questions exam will consist of 60 questions in 40 minutes. Their grade will be based on the exam with multiple-choice questions (70%) and on the written final exam (30%). Attending students who will not be able to take the exam with multiple-choice questions during the course because of official reasons must be able certify their unavailability (for example with a doctor’s prescription) and will be able to take the exam with multiple-choice questions (45 questions) and the final exam in the first exam session after the end of the course. To do so, they will have to take part in group presentations during the course. To pass the exam, it is necessary to score at least 18 in the multiple-choice test, group presentation and final exam (for attending students) or in both the midterm and final exam (for non-attending students). It will not be possible to register the final grade in case the score is lower than 18 in one of the partial tests.

Grade not lower than 30/30, high interest in the subject and active participation during the course.