When 20-year-old Intisar died in Madrid on April 6, her family could not find an available plot in either of the two Muslim burial areas in the region. Her father, Redwan Karmoun, says he was told there was no space. The family eventually arranged for her body to be repatriated to Morocco, where she was buried nine days after her death.
Karmoun says Intisar’s body was embalmed and kept in Spain for a week while the paperwork was completed. The journey involved a flight to Casablanca followed by road transport to Tetouan. Repatriation from Madrid’s Barajas airport cost about €4,000, he says, compared with as much as €4,850 for a Muslim burial in the region.
The case reflects a wider shortage of burial places that can accommodate Islamic practices. A report by the association Entierro Digno found that only two in every 1,000 cemeteries in Spain are equipped for Muslim burials. The group has identified 44 Islamic burial sites nationwide, but says it has verified capacity information for only 14. Its spokesperson, Maysoun Douas, says many municipalities have no designated cemetery or planned plot.
Spain has around 2.5 million Muslims, close to 5% of the population, according to the CEU CEFAS Demographic Observatory. Islamic burial practices include washing the deceased, wrapping the body in a shroud and placing it directly in contact with the earth, facing Mecca. Burial without a coffin is permitted in only five autonomous communities and in Ceuta and Melilla, the report says.
Families may have to travel far to find a suitable site. Temir Naziri says a friend who lived in Madrid was buried at the private Alsalam Muslim cemetery in Chiva, Valencia. The grave and burial cost €3,700, with another €2,450 for funeral services and transport from Madrid. The family wanted a permanent burial without a coffin, but the friend was ultimately buried in a wooden coffin.
Funeral director Javier Moreno says administrative requirements vary depending on where a transfer is arranged and the destination country. Repatriations to Morocco can require proof that the person did not die of an infectious disease, as well as documentation confirming their identity. Differences between names recorded in Spain and Morocco, and the need to translate documents, can add delays. Moreno says repatriations can take from a few days to two months.
The report also highlights gaps in funeral insurance. Policies may provide a set amount to cover funeral services without guaranteeing access to staff or facilities needed for Islamic rites, including ritual washing. Douas says families need clearer information about cemetery capacity and public services planned to meet different religious needs.
Sources: El País Sociedad.