Sweden to bring back civil conscription

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and other senior ministers have announced that the country will reinstate its civil service conscription, SVT reports.

“On Thursday the government will instruct the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) to plan activation of civil conscription in Sweden,” Kristersson said.

The MSB will be required to table the plan by 1 March.

The first stage will involve drafting people with rescue service experience. They will later be able to serve in municipal institutions. According to the MSB, this group includes around 3,000 people.

“We don’t know exactly how many people can be required to serve. We see that the civil defence municipal service does not currently meet the requirements of the high-alert status and, ultimately, an armed attack.”

said Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin.

Rescue teams are also expected to receive additional training.

Civil conscription envisions involving people in working for emergency, healthcare, and other services when drafted in case of a war or an emergency.

In 2017, Sweden revived its military conscription policy. “Russian military activity is one of the reasons,” a spokesperson for the national Defence Ministry then said. Conscription in Sweden requires people to serve between 9 and 12 months.