Men of fighting age in Germany must seek permission from the military to leave the country for extended periods under a new war preparation law.
Effective from January 1, it applies to anyone planning to stay abroad for more than three months – whether for education, employment or travel.
The measure is part of broader reforms this year under the Military Services Modernization Act, but it has gone unnoticed until now.
“Male persons who have reached the age of 17 years must obtain permission from the responsible career center of the German Armed Forces if they wish to leave the Federal Republic Germany For more than three months,” it says.
Restrictions on the movements of men of fighting age have been imposed as the country prepares for a possible Russian attack on NATO next Two to three years.
In the event of a national crisis such as war, emergency conscription may be activated.
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One Army The spokesperson said: “The background and guiding principle of this regulation is to ensure a reliable and informative military register when needed…
“In an emergency, we need to know who can stay abroad for a long period.”
for millions of men Germany, It is unclear how the travel permit requirement will be enforced in practice – and what will happen if they are not aware of it.
According to RND, a large newspaper chain, the Defense Ministry initially refused to explain why the public was not clearly informed about the new rules.
Germany aims to increase troop numbers to between 255,000 and 270,000 by 2035 from the current 184,000.
All youth born in 2008 or later must now complete a questionnaire about their willingness to serve.
While the survey is mandatory for men, it is voluntary for women.
If war broke out, the army would resort to questionnaires and medical examinations of potential recruits.
The country has stopped reintroducing mandatory conscription, but hopes to increase the numbers to give potential recruits more information about military life.
The revelation about the new rule comes just weeks after Lieutenant General Gerald Funke, the head of the German Armed Forces Support Command, told The Times that Russian “hybrid warfare” was his biggest concern, along with casualties.
He said, “The number of wounded in Afghanistan was regrettably high but manageable; now I have to plan for the possibility of a thousand wounded personnel a day.”
“The closer you look at it, the more complex it becomes and the harder it is to imagine.”
He added: “What concerns me at the moment is the mixed side, the covert side: subversion, sleeper cells, some kind of targeted attacks.
“I wouldn’t rule out the use of long-range missiles. But I think the hybrid threat is too great.”
