Ex-Centric Migrations

Ex-Centric Migrations examines cinematic, literary, and musical representations of migrants and migratory trends in the western Mediterranean. Focusing primarily on clandestine sea-crossings, Hakim Abderrezak shows that despite labor and linguistic ties with the colonizer, migrants from the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia) no longer systematically target France as a destination, but instead aspire toward other European countries, notably Spain and Italy. In addition, the author investigates other migratory patterns that entail the repatriation of émigrés. His analysis reveals that the films, novels, and songs of Mediterranean artists run contrary to mass media coverage and conservative political discourse, bringing a nuanced vision and expert analysis to the sensationalism and biased reportage of such events as the Mediterranean maritime tragedies.

Introduction: Mediterraneans and Migrations in the Global Era
1. Disimmigration as a Remedy for the Illness of Immigration in Ismaël Ferroukhi's Le grand voyage
2. "Burning the Sea": Clandestine Migration Across the Mediterranean in Francophone Moroccan Illiterature
3. Southward Road Narratives: How French Citizens Become Clandestine Immigrants in Algeria
4. The New Eldorado in Mediterranean Music
5. Europe Bound: Shooting "Illegals" at Sea
6. Heading Home: Post-Mortem Road Narratives
Conclusion: "White Sea of the Middle" or "Wide Sea to Meddle In"?
Notes
Bibliography
Filmography
Discography
Works Cited
Index