Unit rationale, description and aim

Australia has removed almost 10,000 people in the last decade. The removal of non-citizens from Australia is a significant undertaking, raising policy, law and human rights considerations that will be identified, explored, reviewed, critically analysed and assessed in this unit. The unit will require higher order legal and policy skills and would be suitable for graduate students. It will require deep understanding of what laws and principles need to be invoked, and when and where to do so and why.

This subject will also introduce students to the real world of human rights advocacy in “crim-migration” contexts. In doing so, this unit aims to provide a link between prior learning in relation to migration laws and active engagement in advocacy in support of people whose human rights have been violated through the removal regime. 

2025 10

Campus offering

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  • Term Mode
  • Semester 2Online Scheduled

Prerequisites

Nil

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.

Analyse factual contexts and apply principles to d...

Learning Outcome 01

Analyse factual contexts and apply principles to develop strategies
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC7, GC8

Critically evaluate strategies and develop courses...

Learning Outcome 02

Critically evaluate strategies and develop courses of action
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC7, GC11

Develop and activate solutions

Learning Outcome 03

Develop and activate solutions
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC7, GC12

Content

Indicative topics might include:

1. Constitutional foundations

2. Review of key laws (the Migration Act)

3. Review of key regulations (Direction 110 and its predecessors)

4. Analysis of crucial case law through the integration of migration and criminal law

5. Key contemporary human rights challenges and work to do

6. Develop of strategic responses

7. Human rights advocacy in this context

8. Reform 

Assessment strategy and rationale

Assessments perform an important role and contribute to effective learning and achieving the learning outcomes of this unit. It also develops within you the ability to monitor your own learning and standards. The assessments in this unit comprise of three components: two written assignments and an oral presentation, which are set out below.


The assessments are designed to determine whether, and to what extent, students have grasped the principles and apply them in an integrated manner. The assessment strategy allows the student to develop their knowledge and skills progressively.


In order to pass this unit, you are required to obtain a minimum of 50% total marks. The assessment tasks for this unit are designed for you to demonstrate your achievement of each learning outcome. 

Overview of assessments

Assessment 1 Details: this assessment requires&nb...

Assessment 1

Details: this assessment requires students to demonstrate their ability to identify and interpret relevant Migration legislation, advanced aspects of the visa system, migration policy and human rights issues. 

Purpose: assist students contextualise their learning and use theoretical knowledge in a practical and real-life situation. This task requires students to critically analyse key removal issue being faced by migrants within the bounds of Australian Migration Law.

Format: written assessment. 

Weighting

20%

Learning Outcomes LO2
Graduate Capabilities GC2, GC7, GC8

Assessment 2 Details: this assessment requires&nb...

Assessment 2

Details: this assessment requires students to demonstrate their ability to identify and interpret relevant Migration legislation, advanced aspects of the removal regime, migration policy and human rights issues.

 Purpose: assist students contextualise their learning and use theoretical knowledge in a practical and real-life situation. This task requires students to critically analyse key removal issue being faced by migrants within the bounds of Australian Migration Law.

Format: written assessment. 

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO3
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC7, GC11

Assessment 3 Details: this assessment requires&nb...

Assessment 3

Details: this assessment requires students to demonstrate their ability to identify and interpret relevant Migration legislation, advanced aspects of the removal regime, migration policy and human rights issues.

Purpose: assist students contextualise their learning and use theoretical knowledge in a practical and real-life situation. This task requires students to critically analyse key removal issue being faced by migrants within the bounds of Australian Migration Law.

 Format: Oral Presentation

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3
Graduate Capabilities GC2, GC7, GC12

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Mode: Online Lectures, discussion forums (individual and group work activities), electronic consultation, library tasks.

Duration: 4 hours per week over 12 weeks or equivalent. To fully benefit from your learning, you are expected to spend 150 hours in total for this unit.


The unit is designed to be delivered in a weekly online module. The unit is designed to be delivered in weekly online mode. We have taken a multimodal learning approach to provide accessibility and flexibility as well as a student-focused approach that increases depth of learning and engagement through actively utilising Canvas.


Within an integrated learning framework, lectures will provide core content relating to the topics identified above and begin the process of exploration, which will be followed by detailed explanation and further investigation in discussion forums. Through direct interaction between students and teachers, students are encouraged to engage in critical analysis of the foundational knowledge they acquire; to test that knowledge by applying it to factual situations; to produce solutions supported by legal authorities and arguments; and to reflect on their learning. Each component is intended to build on knowledge and skills and progressively scaffold student learning.

Representative texts and references

This unit requires you to use the Australian Guide to Legal Citation, fourth edition (AGLC4) referencing system. 

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