LCRM302 - Customs, Border Protection and Biosecurity

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

LCRM101 Introduction to Criminology AND LCRM204 Sentencing and Victims

Unit rationale, description and aim

Human trafficking and the smuggling of narcotics, firearms, dangerous goods, wildlife and endangered and threatened species are persistent crimes with serious negative social implications. Knowing about and understanding key concepts and practices associated with these matters, including border protection and biosecurity are important foundations for skills needed to identify, categorise and manage associated risks.

This unit introduces students to key concepts and practices in customs, border protection and biosecurity. The unit begins with a foundation of knowledge about the history and purpose of customs. It progresses to consideration of law, policy and practice across Australian airports and seaports, smuggling, and trafficking, each of which is further elaborated through consideration of international aspects. The unit then considers the separate but related matters of biosecurity and quarantine before finishing with consideration of contemporary challenges in border protection. This progression helps students to develop skills to critically evaluate border protection skills having regard to the dignity of the individual, human diversity, the common good and the human right to a sustainable environment.

The aim of this unit is to help students develop their knowledge and understanding of customs, border security and biosecurity and associated skills in identifying, categorising and managing associated risks.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Describe border protection risks and the regulatory methods of controlling them (GA4, GA5, GA8)

LO2 - Explain how regulation, policy and border management practices advance social objectives and protect society from harm (GA1, GA2, GA3, GA4, GA5, GA6, GA8)

LO3 - Apply risk management principles to identify, categorise and manage border risks (GA1, GA2, GA3, GA4, GA5, GA6, GA8)

Graduate attributes

GA1 - Demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity

GA2 - Recognise their responsibility to the common good, the environment and society

GA3 - Apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA4 - Think critically and reflectively

GA5 - Demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession

GA6 - Solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account

GA8 - Locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information

Content

Topics will include:

• History and purpose of customs.
• International customs union.
• Australian airports: law, policy and practice.
• Australian seaports: law, policy and practice.
• Smuggling: law, policy and practice.
• Trafficking: law, policy and practice.
• International dimensions of smuggling and trafficking.
• History of biosecurity and quarantine.
• National and international dimensions of biosecurity and quarantine.
• Contemporary challenges in border protection. 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit comprises 150 hours of study in total. It will be taught over a 12 week semester, with one 2-hour lecture followed by a 1-hour tutorial each week. Other study components might include on-line webinars, podcasts, readings, discussion forums etc. The balance of the hours is comprised of self-directed study.

The unit begins with a foundation of knowledge about the history and purpose of customs. It progresses to consideration of law, policy and practice across Australian airports and seaports, smuggling, and trafficking, each of which is further elaborated through consideration of international aspects. The unit then considers the separate but related matters of biosecurity and quarantine before finishing with consideration of contemporary challenges in border protection.

This progression helps students to develop skills to critically evaluate border protection skills having regard to the dignity of the individual, human diversity, the common good and the human right to a sustainable environment.

Assessment strategy and rationale

Assessment is used in this unit as an integral part of the learning process by integrating it with the learning and teaching strategy described above. The assessment tasks support students through a scaffolded sequence of development so that they learn how to apply their understanding of customs, border security and biosecurity to the skill of identifying, categorising and managing associated risks.

This unit will be assessed by three assessment tasks: a content knowledge quiz to test jurisdictional and policy knowledge, a risk rating exercise to ensure students appreciate, understand and can apply risk analysis suitable to the work of the unit topics, and a ministerial briefing note in which students are required to respond to a request for critical analysis of a proposed reform.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Australian Customs Law and Practice, CCH: 1990

Fili A, Jahnsen S & Powell R, eds., Criminal Justice Research in an Era of Mass Mobility, 2021.

Sitkin L, Re-thinking the Political Economy of Immigration Control: A Comparative Analysis, 2019.

Côté-Boucher K, Border Frictions: Gender, Generation and Technology on the Frontline, 2020.

Sanchez G, Human Smuggling and Border Crossings, 2016.

Vecchio F, Asylum Seeking and the Global City, 2016.

Aliverti A, Crimes of Mobility: Criminal Law and the Regulation of Immigration, 2015.

Weber L, Policing Non-Citizens, 2013.

Bolzan N, Darcy M & Mason J, eds., Fenced Out, Fenced In: Border Protection, Asylum and Detention in Australia, 2006.