Between Exclusion and Familiarity: An Ethnography of the Mediterranean Missing Project

Persons who die or go missing in migration leave behind families with similar needs to the families of those missing in conflict and political violence. Indeed, much of what has been learned in terms of psychosocial support and forensic work in transitional contexts may be useful in such situations. However, both the political and logistical constraints of identifying the bodies of dead migrants, for example those found in the Mediterranean Sea, are extreme, with families dispersed globally and European states refusing to acknowledge that they have any obligations. Here, experience of a research project investigating the treatment of migrant bodies at the European Union’s southern frontier and the needs and perceptions of families of missing migrants is discussed, with an emphasis on work with both families and practitioners.