The proportion of men aged between 16 and 40 among asylum seekers in Germany has seen a sharp increase over the past five years.

That's according to news agency dpa, citing the latest asylum statistics (through November 2023) published by Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). 

From January to November 2023, around half of first-time asylum applicants (50.7%) were part of this group, dpa reported -- marking a significant upward trend compared to 2019 and 2020, when men aged between 16 and 40 made up just over a quarter (26.2% and 26.6%, respectively) of all applicants.

The proportion of younger male asylum seekers last stood at a similarly high rate in 2015 and 2016, when it was measured at 47.4% and 42.9% respectively, according to BAMF. At that time, however, there was generally a high proportion of men among the applications amid an influx of migrants coming to Europe as part of what commonly has become known as the so-called "refugee crisis"

In 2023, the vast majority of people (71.7%) who applied for asylum in Germany were male as well while during 2018 to 2020, in contrast, the gender ratio of applicant was more balanced.

Also read: Germany: Concern over rights to naturalization for migrants with disabilities

Gender mix varies by home country, escape path

According to migration expert Marcus Engler from the German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM), there is no single cause for this increase. However, Engler told dpa that in part, "long and dangerous escape routes are a key explanation for the gender imbalance."

According to Engler, there's often a positive correlation between the number of people taking lengthy and risky migration journeys and the share of men among the arrivals in Europe.

Tougher border policies in Turkey and Greece have made the act of fleeing oppressive regimes and persecution more dangerous and more expensive, which is likely to lead to more men taking the routes, according to Engler.

According to BAMF research meanwhile, the age or gender of most asylum applicants is also influenced by their country of origin: For example, since around 2020, the number of refugees coming from Afghanistan and Syria and arriving in Germany has increased once more, as BAMF figures show.

People fleeing these countries often tend to leave their family behind at first and try to send for them once they have established a regular status in a host country.

Other communities meanwhile, such as the Yazidis in Iraq, tend to flee collectively, while Ukrainian war refugees to the EU are largely made up of women and children, as men get drafted into the war effort against Russia.

Also read: Yazidi refugee fears deportation after three years in Germany

with dpa