A particularly striking feature of the European migrant crisis is the extremely high proportion of young males entering Europe. Despite many of these individuals stating they are escaping war or terror, the fact that virtually all migrants are men is a mysterious and noteworthy aspect. The implications of this heavy male presence among migrants, are two fold.

It is highly probable that these migrants are abandonding their families, and are leaving their nation’s women and children defenceless. When a group is faced with great danger, most cultures regard it as a duty for those more powerful to protect the less powerful. However, there seems to be a cowardly, spineless, and fainthearted mindset among many of these people, hardly individuals who appear likely to contribute toward European society.  With no willingness to fight either for their families or country, there is a portrayal of a very weakened and limited standard of morals among these migrants.

Given most asylum seekers are young males, and opposed to families, making their way towards Europe, one is forgiven for thinking that many of these people are not in fact legitimate refugees. Last month, it was revealed that 4 out of 5 European migrants are in fact not from Syria (Mail Online, 2015). This simple fact shows that there are more complexities to the issue than at first glance, and it is likely that many of these young men are in fact economic migrants from impoverished areas such as the Middle East and Central Asia.

I do not blame these men, for if I were in the same position, then I would also flee for the freedom and standard of living enjoyed in Europe. But if Europe is to demonstrate any genuine honesty about this situation, then its leaders must address and discuss the reasons why so many of these migrants are men.