Men, sex & violence : exploring sexual and gender-based violence against men in the context of forced migration

Abstract

Previous studies on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) against men have mainly sought to investigate the phenomenon in peaceful scenarios and during wartime. With very rare exceptions, little to no attention has ever been paid to its perpetration in the context of forced migration. Moreover, whilst it is known that male asylum seekers in Malta, including those identified as vulnerable, are entitled to a number of services, hardly any information about the latter is available, or whether the issue is at all acknowledged in the first place. To this end, individual face-to-face in-depth interviews with five cisgender men and one transgender woman of sub-Saharan African origin and five relevant local service providers were conducted to explore how men may be exposed to SGBV during the forced migratory process, and to investigate the extent to which key stakeholders in Malta are taking into account, in their programming efforts, the needs of SGBV-affected forced migrant men. This study finds that male forced migrants who travel northward from sub-Saharan Africa may fall victim to SGBV, the causes and effects of which vary considerably from one case to another. If not directly affected, many are compelled to witness the victimisation of their relatives or companions, both male and female. Whilst all sub-Saharan African men may be exposed to SGBV during their journey, some of them are likely, more than others, to face specific forms of it owing to certain aspects of their identity. The findings show that, at present, local service providers are not sufficiently equipped to meet the unique needs of victimised male forced migrants. This study reveals that SGBV against sub-Saharan African men is a severely underreported crime in Malta, mainly due to the stigma attached to the issue, and also the fear, particularly on the part of gay men, to open up to the authorities. Language barriers and the perceived risk of deportation upon reporting are also identified as factors contributing to this culture of silence.