Europe’s Muslims Confront Deepening Burial Crisis

Delays, Space Shortages, and High Costs Strain Islamic Funeral Practices Across the Continent

By Abdullahi Yusuf

Muslim communities across Europe are facing a growing burial crisis as limited plots, high costs, and bureaucratic delays disrupt traditional Islamic funeral practices, according to a report by U.K.-based Hyphenmagazine.

Despite an estimated 25 million Muslims on the continent, the scarcity of burial spaces is creating emotional and financial hardships for grieving families.

Germany’s five million Muslims rely on 327 cemeteries with Muslim sections, yet bureaucratic hurdles and cultural restrictions, such as bans on shrouded burials, often delay funerals.

These challenges force 90% of Muslim families to opt for repatriation, which, while efficient for established communities like Turkish Germans, can cost thousands of euros for others.

In Hamburg, Germany, Sümbül Tarakçilar’s family experienced these challenges firsthand.

Following the 2020 death of her brother Ali, Islamic burial traditions requiring interment within 24 hours were impossible due to long waiting lists at local cemeteries.

“You feel like you’re being tortured,” she told Hyphen.

Ali was eventually buried a week later.

The issue extends across Europe. In Spain, only 35 of the country’s 17,850 cemeteries accommodate Muslim burials.

Some regions, like Galicia, have no Muslim burial plots, leaving families to either repatriate their loved ones or travel long distances.

Independent initiatives, like the Alsalam Muslim cemetery in Valencia, are trying to address this gap.

Offering lower costs for Muslim families, the cemetery charges €3,100 for perpetual plots and €1,089 for five-year leases, while waiving maintenance fees.

Meanwhile, smaller municipalities often resist expanding burial options.

In Vigo, Galicia, local Muslim organizations have been trying to establish a cemetery since 2016 but have faced persistent bureaucratic obstacles.

Abdel el Aziri of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Vigo suspects political concerns are behind the delays, with officials hesitant to risk backlash.

Other regions face additional challenges. In France, secular laws prevent dedicated Muslim cemeteries except in certain areas, while in Italy and Greece, most cemeteries cater exclusively to Catholic and Orthodox burials.

Even where plots exist, graves are sometimes targeted by far-right vandals, adding another layer of distress for Muslim communities.

As Europe’s Muslim population is projected to double by 2050, experts stress the need for comprehensive solutions to ensure dignity and respect in death for all communities.

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