ABSTRACT
West and Central African migration towards Morocco has been mainly analyzed as the effect of the regions’ role as Europe’s southern ‘frontier zone’ and zone of ‘transit’ or ‘waiting’ for migrants heading to Europe. While focusing on religious place-making for Central and West African migrants, this chapter challenges this Eurocentric perspective on African migration to and via this North African country. It demonstrates the historical depth and the complexity of African migration towards and beyond Morocco and analyzes the meaningfulness and significance of the Moroccan stay for migrants. It shows how migration towards Morocco is shaped by transnational religious spaces and imaginaries and analyzes how Morocco becomes part of transnational territories shaped by multidirectional African mobilities. The chapter is based on ethnographic research conducted in a Tidjani Sufi shrine in Fès and Charismatic house churches in Rabat.
