Over the years, much of my research interest has focused on the cultural dimension of forced displacement. Over the last decade or so, there\u2019s been increasing interest in the mental health aspects of migration. Yet the place of religion in this dimension remains under-explored.<\/p>\n
Religious coping strategies<\/h2>\n
For our research<\/a>, we interviewed three of the 25 migrants: Omar from Sierra Leone, Abeo from Nigeria, and Moussa from Guinea (names altered to preserve confidentiality). All Muslims, these migrants consistently described Allah as benevolent and protective, and particularly so when recounting key crisis points of their journey. In line with other research<\/a> showing Muslims\u2019 extensive use of positive religious coping, our findings suggest religion can be a way to deal with stress, anxiety and fear, especially during extreme, high-risk migration journeys.<\/p>\n <\/a> We analysed our interview transcripts using the typology of religious coping strategies provided within the RCOPE framework<\/a>, a well-established clinical framework used to study and categorise forms of religious and spiritual coping.<\/p>\n According to its authors, there are several ways in which religiousness is a valuable resource when coping with difficult situations. It can be used to:<\/p>\n ascribe meaning to an otherwise incomprehensible phenomenon <\/p>\n<\/li>\n provide a sense of control during turbulent events<\/p>\n<\/li>\n offer comfort when a person is experiencing pain<\/p>\n<\/li>\n build intimacy with one\u2019s faith and with others<\/p>\n<\/li>\n initiate a life transformation following a difficult period. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n With the exception of the last point, all these articulations of religious coping were present in our data. The \u201cmeaning-making\u201d function of religious coping showed up the most. Migrants often referred to their journey\u2019s hardship as an act of God or as part of God\u2019s grand plan. <\/p>\n Migration scholars broadly agree that whether seeking a better life or escaping violence and persecution, people on the move -\u2013 and particularly those from the global south \u2013- have faced increasingly restrictive immigration policies since the end of the Cold War. Walls and fences have been erected<\/a>, detention centres<\/a> built, and sophisticated surveillance technology<\/a> deployed at the borderlands. To adapt to these changes, old migration routes have been replaced by longer and riskier ones. <\/p>\n While our study case was certainly not the first recorded instance of irregular African migration to Latin America using the Transatlantic Corridor, we are likely to see an uptick in such crossings in the coming years. This is largely due to the increased securitisation and criminalisation of migrants in northern destinations. This has led to the emergence and diversification of south-south and intercontinental migration routes<\/a>. <\/p>\n The elevated risks in these new and increasingly popular migration routes lead to feelings of stress, anxiety and trauma. This is extensively demonstrated in a recent review<\/a> and meta-analysis of empirical studies on the relationship between migration and mental health. This makes migrants\u2019 coping mechanisms an increasingly important area of research.<\/p>\n As our research has shown, religiousness is an important adaptive coping mechanism during the migration process. There\u2019s a need for more holistic clinical interventions that include the spiritual aspects of migrants\u2019 mental health.<\/p>\n![\"Security](\"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/how-religion-helped-african-migrants-during-a-risky-atlantic-crossing.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n
Risky journeys, religion and mental health<\/h2>\n