Germany mandates young men to report long foreign stays under new military law; voluntary service retained but social media debate erupts over privacy and transparency, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
Germany has introduced a little-known provision in its new military service law requiring most young men to inform authorities before leaving the country for extended periods. The regulation, confirmed by the defence ministry, mandates that men from the age of 17 obtain prior approval from the German armed forces for any foreign stay exceeding three months.
“The background and guiding principle of this regulation is to ensure a reliable and informative military service record in case of need,” a ministry spokesman told AFP. Approval will generally be granted if “no specific service as a soldier is expected during the period in question.”
The law, which went into effect in January, aims to encourage voluntary military service while enabling Germany to increase the size of its full-time and reserve forces as part of NATO defence plans. Military service remains voluntary, and conscription, which was suspended in 2011, is not being reinstated.
Under the new system, all 18-year-old men are required to complete a questionnaire indicating their interest in military service and may be subject to medical assessments. The ministry is also drafting exemptions to the exit permit requirement and a system for approving requests, emphasising that it seeks to “avoid unnecessary bureaucracy.”
