The Sacred Meaning of the Mediterranean Sea Crossing: Religion as a Coping Resource for Migrants

Every year, thousands of migrants risk their lives by crossing the Mediterranean Sea on overcrowded boats to reach Italy. The sea crossing represents a life-threatening moment during the migration journey. Migrants are exposed to numerous challenges, involving both physical and emotional distress. This specific event crystallises many uncertainties that may produce, for some migrants, a crisis of meaning. It is precisely in this context that religion may appear as a salient yet ambivalent coping resource that helps them make sense of their experiences. The objective of this study is to explore the complex role of religion as a coping resource for migrants who crossed the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, their use of religion illuminates the dangerousness of the crossing. This study is based on in-depth qualitative interviews with six migrants who have crossed the Mediterranean Sea and now reside in Italy, and on the Brief RCOPE Scale to identify positive and negative religious coping strategies. This study seeks to bring attention to migrants' perspectives of their own experiences of the crossing, which are often overlooked in the analysis of the Mediterranean Sea crossing. The results of this study demonstrate that religious beliefs and practices, in their diversity, are used as a compass during difficult times. The testimonies of migrants offer a new perspective into the contemporary migration process, where religion appears to be an integral part and not a separate variable of the migration journey. Finally, this study contributes to the call for a religion-sensitive approach to foster a better cultural and accurate understanding of the experiences of migrants who have crossed the Mediterranean Sea.