Mourir en migration

Abstract

This article focuses on death rituals among sub-Saharan asylum seekers who numbered 40 000 in Israel at the beginning of 2018. With a view to understanding the issue of presence/absence of migrants, the author explores mourning rituals among Eritrean (Christian) and Sudanese (Muslim) communities, the outcomes for the deceased and any differences between burial in exile or repatriation for burial in the country of origin as well as the fate of those who disappeared while migrating and their memorial celebrations. This article should be read within the framework of a growing literature on migration and death which looks at ritual adaptations for the host country, as well as religious, social and legal constraints for burial as an expatriate, for post-mortem repatriation to the country of origin and, for serious questions concerning the protocol for repatriation of immigrant remains at border crossings.

Keywords

• repatriation
• death
• burial
• Sub-Saharan migration
• African asylum seekers
• Israel