Why Are so Many Asylum Seekers Male?

Of the refugees who have left Syria, women outnumber men. Yet the refugees that have arrived in Europe are predominantly male.
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Most of the asylum applications in Switzerland (from applicants of all nationalities) are led by men. In 2014, almost three-quarters of all applicants were male.
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This male gender bias is particularly strong among refugees from the Maghreb and West Africa.
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The asylum process helps to restore gender equality, as women are currently better represented in the permanent resident population.
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The higher proportion of males is specific to asylum-related migration flows.