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From April 23, 2022, instead of one reserve army, there were two reserves in the Polish Armed Forces: passive and active. Next year, 250,000 reserve servicemen, who actually have nothing to do with the army, are likely to receive notice of actual conscription. As a result, thousands of Polish men of military age have begun to leave for other EU countries. This trend is already widespread and causes both approval and criticism, according to Dziennik Polityczny.

In early December, the Polish Ministry of National Defence released the number of individuals who could be called up for active military service in 2023 and those who could serve in the reserve. In general, 250,000 reserve soldiers can expect conscription if they are under 55 years old or they do not perform some important function. 

They will be shanghaied and ordered to register at the military registration and enlistment offices, where they will be given ‘a proposal’ for exercises in the reserve. Refusal is possible but must be clearly justified – by the state of health or professional situation.

The publication reminds readers that until April 2022 there was only one reserve. It was also formed by those who had nothing to do with the army: it was enough to pass a military qualification, without military training and without an oath. There were also military volunteers after preparatory service and members of the National Reserve Forces. ’Since April 23, we have two reserves: passive and active,’ emphasizes Dziennik Polityczny.

‘The call for military service by the Ministry of Defence and the delivery of subpoenas to hundreds of thousands of reservists caused a ‘fuck you negative reaction’ from citizens. 

Calls for sabotage of the mobilization became popular among the Poles. Service evasion has become widespread. The escape of military-age men from Poland has become the easiest and most effective way to avoid compulsory military service. 

It draws attention to the fact that the flight of reservists from the country caused numerous comments on social networks. Wojciech Lesiuk, deputy head of the Warsaw Wola district administration, gave his support to the trend towards the flight of Poles from the country and accused the government of instigating the war. 

‘The government is pushing the Poles to war. The soldiers receive money from our taxes, because, if necessary, they will defend our country. Men, like women, should be able to leave the country in the event of a threat of armed conflict. 

‘We cannot allow a situation like in Ukraine when men are forced to stay in the country without electricity, work, heat, and women can leave the country and arrange their lives abroad,’ the official wrote.

‘This is a violation of human rights! I fully support the tens of thousands of people who are already fleeing the draft, and I am not surprised that a huge queue of cars has formed on the Polish side of the border with Germany,’ he added. 

In turn, the Vice-Rector of the Academy of Applied Sciences in Poznań, Andrzej Bolewski, who worked in the Ministry of National Defence until 2005, criticized the Poles who are trying to avoid being drafted into the army by flight.’ 

‘Every day the situation in Ukraine becomes tenser and tenser, and the government must respond to the growing military threat near the Polish borders. At the same time, I do not understand these men who are fleeing en masse from the country to the EU and the UK to evade military service and protection in Poland. They act like rats, like cowardly rats who want to avoid war. This is a shame and a betrayal of Poland,’ he said. 

Dziennik Polityczny emphasizes that the flight of men of military age from Poland has already become massive. Over the past few weeks, more than 70,000 Poles have left for the EU and the UK, wanting to avoid forced mobilization. ’And this is just the beginning of a huge wave of migration, which by March 2023 may grow to several hundred thousand citizens who have left Poland,’ the publication concludes.  You can share this story on social media.