Skip to main content


Wow, such democracy. Much freedom of movement.

#germany #eu

Cory Doctorow reshared this.

in reply to Aral Balkan

If you asked German men of that age, I’d be surprised if even one in tens of thousands knew this.
This entry was edited (1 week ago)
in reply to John Ulrik

@ujay68 the law was enacted in January, but the media only started to report it a couple of days ago. No one has read the new law. I doubt that in parliament many have read it. Some claim that it is in violation of EU law, but I am not really sure.

What we need is a man between 17 and 45 who wants to leave the country for more than 3 months, for example a student.

in reply to Reiner Jung 🇬🇱 🇺🇦 🇪🇺

@prefec2 @ujay68 This seems very contrary to the spirit of EU law, which allows people of any member the nation to move to any other, study there, work there, etc. This is fundamentally restraint on the free movement of people as well as being discriminatory based on sex and age.
in reply to Infoseepage

@Infoseepage @prefec2 PS. AFAICT, the regulation says the travel requests have to be granted with no scrutiny applied. So it seems more like a mandatory register of people abroad than a restriction, but still …
in reply to John Ulrik

@ujay68 @prefec2 But that's not the way it is written, right? It's written as "To travel, you must get approval and do X." If it was written as "All men who are German nationals between such and such an age must get a physical and register their current address," that would seem to be less legally objectionable.
in reply to Infoseepage

@Infoseepage @prefec2 The federal administration and the secretary of defence have now made clear that no application/approval will be necessary in times of peace. social.bund.de/@Bundesregierun…
in reply to Aral Balkan

I'm genuinely beginning to wonder if this applies to me, I've been residing in another country for more than five years but I still have German citizenship.
in reply to Aral Balkan

Ah, yes.
But 1)_they haven't even implemented -any- procedure for this yet. (Dep. of Def. wouldn't know on which pile/in which file your notification goes.)

And 2) you have to notify, yes, but the law doesn't (yet) provide any means to deny absence.

in reply to Aral Balkan

It's a requirement for World War Three, as we cannot have one without Germany /s
in reply to Aral Balkan

nice. Finland doesn't have that and we have a long border with Russia and Russian army bases just behind the border.

Of the fighting age? What's the fighting age in Germany 18-45?

in reply to Aral Balkan

yeah, I think it's a bit more nuanced in practice. They've had a similar law on the books for years, from my understanding, and it's just a rubber-stamp. They officially need to ask for permission, and because there is no active war the Bundeswehr officially has to give them permission

Ukraine has a similar law, and because they are at war they won't give permission

in reply to Aral Balkan

Under a capitalist society, freedom of movement can only refer to the movement of capital, and by extension, maybe, goods.

But never people.

And since now Western Empire sees irregular migration as a form of hybrid warfare, it is even worse.

It is not even "you can't move", it is "your movement is an act of war."

in reply to Aral Balkan

if you bother to read the actual law, you will read
a) The permission will be granted in periods of non-mandatory service (read as: atm)
b) The minstery of defence might grant general permission.
This entry was edited (1 week ago)
in reply to Aral Balkan

i REALLY wonder why this is now so a big thing. The EXACT same rule applied up until 2011. so 15 years later introducing it back is suddenly the end of the world?
Also there are no fines/penalties specified if you don't do it...
in reply to Aral Balkan

step into good direction. Have it in 1938, history would look much better.
in reply to Aral Balkan

Can't just write 'bone spurs' under the amount on a cheque payabe to the enlistment officer in germany, I guess.
in reply to Aral Balkan

This story gives me "Oxford 15 minute city" vibes (i.e. the story isn't exactly false... but my word has someone taken something and seemingly run a mile in the wrong direction about it)
This entry was edited (1 week ago)
in reply to Aral Balkan

Americans, who pride themselves on freedom and democracy, are not allowed to leave the nation without permission.

Example: Americans cannot travel to #Germany without a passport, which is government permission to temporarily leave the country. Yet Americans say they are free.

None of the world governments offer true freedom. Only God offers true freedom, through Jesus Christ the Lord, who said:

My kingdom is not of this world.

#freedom #USA #Jesus

in reply to Aral Balkan

similar for people on social security in Germany.
They need to ask for permission to leave the country and then it's 3 weeks tops, also it's not just country but inside Germany as well
in reply to Aral Balkan

very much freedom of movement.

Please don't spread misinformation.

in reply to Chasalin

@chasalin Tell that to the BBC.

bbc.com/news/articles/cvg3nr83…

Or The Guardian.

theguardian.com/world/2026/apr…

But don’t go around accusing people you don’t know of spreading misinformation just because someone criticised your precious nation.

in reply to Aral Balkan

Bullshit. It was always in the law and hasn't changed since 20 years and longer.
in reply to Oliver Vanderb

@Ollivdb I guess the BBC, The Guardian, and pretty much every other mainstream news outlet got it wrong then.

Or maybe Oliver did.

It’s so hard to tell.

in reply to Aral Balkan

democracy doesn't say anything about absence of civic duty.

you want your democracy? be ready to defend it.

the freedoms you get are only what you can protect, no need to be teenager about it.

Wow, such a brave man. Much feeling of responsibility.

Unknown parent

@Infoseepage @ujay68 backing Israel is off topic here (does not mean that I agree with it). However, the government changed the law from stating that such limits to males only apply to a time of crisis, which was the old text, to the new version requiring this anytime. Now they issued a general allowance. So the law stays and is worse than before, as now they can remove that any time. Also it is a very German solution, making things more complicated instead of fixing them.