The Belgian government recently said it would temporarily suspend it to provide lodging for lonely menand seeking asylum, arguing that families, women and children should be given priority.

Last Wednesday, Foreign Minister Nicole de Moor said that pressure on accommodation for asylum seekers was expected to increase in the coming months and that she wanted to “absolutely prevent children ending up on the streets this winter.”

On the other hand, the lone man must take care of himself.

This sparked outrage from authorities in the Brussels region and Amnesty International, who called on the Government to change its mind. The European Commission said it would contact the Belgian Executive to discuss the issue.

There was also a negative reaction to men seeking asylum under other conditions.

When 500 people were initially transferred to the shipAunt Stockholmin the south of England, in the British Government’s attempt to avoid spending money on hotel accommodation, this issue came up repeatedly when questioned by residents.

“The only problem is that so many people have arrived on the ship and they are all men. Where are the families? Where are the wives and children?” one of the interlocutors told the BBC.

Others are more explicit.

“I’m very worried, I’m scared, my children and I will go to the beach” in the area, another woman said. “How are we going to do it with 500 people?” he continued.

Why do more men emigrate?

According to the European Asylum Agency, male asylum applicants accounted for 71% of asylum applications last year.

However, experts and activists point out that there is a reason why it is usually men who make the journey.

Teacher Nando Sigonaprofessor of International Migration and Forced Displacement at the University of Birmingham (UK), said that in many countries, men are considered the main breadwinners of the family and they devote themselves more to public activities, such as joining the army.

“This makes them more likely to be targeted in situations of political and social unrest,” he added.

Professor Sigona added that “travel to Europe was dangerous and expensive, and it was difficult to raise enough money for all the members to seek refuge abroad, so men were often sent abroad first to earn their keep.” to support the family and also live a safer life. the path to international protection through family reunification.

However, he assured that with stricter measures implemented in many countries towards family reunification pathways, “we have seen more children and women making dangerous journeys and risking their lives.” “This occurs both in the case of irregular crossings in the Mediterranean and through the English Channel.”

He also indicated that the lack of communication with local communities adds to the fear felt by those who have new neighbors and know nothing about their origins.

“Asylum seekers are often housed in already impoverished and marginalized areas, and some local residents view their presence as a form of exclusion,” he said. “Communication with local communities is often forgotten and communities are placed in an area without discussing it first,” he added.

ADVERTISEMENT

Regarding the Belgian plan, he said it “doesn’t appear to be working.”

“Women who have children and families are a minority in the asylum system,” she said. “While it is clearly important for them to have shelter for the winter, it is unlikely that all single men should be denied shelter to house them,” he said.

According to him, the real goal is to “punish applicants who are single, thereby further reinforcing society’s erroneous perception that they abuse the system and are dangerous.”

In a document posted by the Care4Calais campaign group on its website, it states that “the young people seen on this boat did everything they could to protect their families. Their mothers, grandmothers, sisters, babies, daughters. How many times a a father says that he will die for his daughter, a husband will die for his wife? Well, these people are practicing it.