The “Transnational Business of Death” among Somali Migrants in the Streets of Athens

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Documents

  • Full Text

    Final published version, 734 KB, PDF document

Migrants risk their lives when venturing out on hazardous journeys to escape unbearable situations in their countries of origin. Some, unfortunately, lose their lives en route. When such tragedies happen, a border-crossing social network of brokers, fellow travelers, family members, and friends of the deceased engage in a “transnational business of death” involving exchanges of money, things, information, and rumors. Based on ethnographic fieldwork among Somali women and men from 2013 to 2016, this article explores how the death of one Somali woman was dealt with on a particular street in Athens, Greece. The article argues that an informal economy arises as a reaction to the lack of legal, formal support from the Greek nation-state when it comes to dealing with the deaths of loved ones among undocumented migrants.
Original languageEnglish
JournalMigration and Society
Volume6
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)16-29
ISSN2574-1314
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

ID: 371027239