In Comparative Immigration and Asylum Law: from persecution to protection, the course will provide an overview of temporary visa and permanent residence options available in the US and UK, including visa options created by trade treaties, that allow individuals to lawfully immigrate to the US and UK. The course will also provide an in depth overview of the asylum process in the US and UK, using a hypothetical scenario to illustrate differences between the two systems. For a majority of the course, students will have the opportunity to learn how an unaccompanied minor and a woman fleeing domestic violence would navigate the U.S. and U.K immigration systems and request asylum. Through a series of faculty-led discussions and small and large group exercises, students will examine the asylum process in both the U.S. and U.K. and legal protections in both countries for adults and children in asylum proceedings. Topics include:• Analyzing the legal definition of an “asylee” under the 1952 Refugee Convention;• Examining the persecution and hardship suffered by the client and conditions in the home country to evaluate if the client has a viable asylum claim;• Exploring legal protections afforded to unaccompanied minors seeking asylum;• Weighing alternative forms of relief in addition to asylum;• Preparing an asylum application;• Representing clients in affirmative and defensive requests for asylum Grading: Credits: 2 Offered: Summer
