Military conscription: Burkina Faso, Taiwan, Sweden and Great Britain

In Burkina Faso, men are forcibly conscripted into the so-called units of Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP). According to those appointed and the public opinion, this is revenge on military representatives of the state authorities for their public criticism. Men forcibly conscripted into the VDP end up on the front lines of the fight against jihadists. The VDP was assumed to have 50,000 recruits and was formed to reclaim territory from Islamist militants.

In response to the threat from China, Taiwan began military conscription, extending from four months to a year. According to the Taiwanese army, 670 conscripts will join the first group under the extended program for one-year service. They will undergo more intensive training, including target practice, combat training used by U.S. forces, and handling more advanced weapons than before, including Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank missiles.

The new generation of conscripts is to strengthen the armed forces of Sweden, which is waiting to join NATO structures. After an eight-year break, compulsory military service was reintroduced there in 2018, and military conscription has recently increased by 30%. In 2024, over 100,000 Swedish teenagers born in 2006 will join the army. In the U.K., a return to compulsory military service is being considered, especially given the difficulties with voluntary recruitment. According to data prepared by the Labor Party, recruitment targets for the army and navy have not been achieved for 13 years, and since 2012, the total shortfall in the armed forces has been just over 23,000 soldiers.