Syrian family in Germany. Credit: Patrick Pleul DPA/PA Images
Altogether, an estimated 550,000 Syrian asylum seekers have arrived in Germany since 2011. Roughly 75 percent of them are male. High payments to smugglers have made it impossible for many families to escape together. Many hoped that once a male family member made it to Germany and got asylum, the remaining nuclear family members could follow safely by using the legally guaranteed right to family reunification. This has become increasingly difficult.
Leaving women and children behind, for safety reasons
