Vision of the body. The importance of the repatriation of corpses for Senegalese emigrants in Catalonia

Abstract

The dead corps continues after death its “social life”. By returning their body to the country of origin and making it visible those Senegalese who have died in Catalonia accomplish a symbolic return. Seeing the corps becomes a manner to mitigate the sufferance of those who have lost someone in a distant land. Usually, the preference for burial in the country of origin among Muslim migrants in Europe is treated as related to debates about religious diversity. However, the emotional element appears as a new dimension that requires to be explored more deeply.