Criminal Justice, Migration and Citizenship

Profs Mary Bosworth and Lucia Zedner

Immigration and its control are highly charged topics in contemporary policy and politics. As those within the burgeoning field of border criminology observe, traditional distinctions between criminal law and immigration law are eroding. Institutions like the police and the prison, previously bound to the nation state, these days extend well beyond its borders. As more foreigners end up in prison and as states pursue more vigorously additional forms of confinement in immigration detention alongside deportation, the distinct justifications of punishment and administrative penalties blur.  At the same time, controlling migration and mobility has become a key tool of security and counterterrorism policies. This course will examine such matters.

Students who take this course will gain an understanding of the shifting nature of criminal justice under conditions of mass mobility. They will also piece together the connections between migration control, race and gender, and will explore the methodological implications and challenges of this emerging field of research.