From Marriage Contracts to Breaking Kola Nuts and Reciting the Qur'an: A Journey Through Migrants' Marriage Practices in Morocco

Morocco is transforming from a transit country to a destination country since a growing number of migrants are choosing to settle there. For many of these migrants, the pursuit of a new life in Morocco is closely tied to the establishment of familial structures, with marriage often comprising a critical first step in this process. Migration represents a disruption of normalcy in which new perceptions and practices can emerge. In this article, we engage in a socio-legal analysis of marriage practices among sub-Saharan, Middle Eastern, and South Asian migrants in Morocco, focusing on both the formal and informal dimensions. By employing a legal pluralistic lens, we analyze what type of marriage migrants enter and examine how they navigate the legal, religious, and customary norms in place. An intersectional analysis explains why a formal marriage is attainable for some migrants but not for others. Key factors such as administrative status and financial resources serve as significant barriers to their marital aspirations, resulting in either delays in formal marriage or decisions to marry through informal channels. The concept of belonging explains why informal and formal marriages continue to be practiced among migrants.