Nine mayors call for Sjælsmark to reopen as barracks

Nine mayors in North Zealand want Sjælsmark departure centre in Hørsholm to be reopened as a military barracks, DR reports. They say the move is needed to accommodate more conscripts in the Capital Region.

In an open letter to Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus, the mayors argue that the region is also affected by Denmark’s military expansion but lacks enough barracks for the number of young people who could serve their conscription.

The Capital Region has one barracks, compared with 11 in the Region of Southern Denmark. The region has around 55,000 young people, while Southern Denmark has about 40,000, said Morten Slotved, mayor of Hørsholm Municipality.

The mayors believe young people should be able to complete their military service closer to their families and social networks, rather than being sent to Skive, Haderslev or Bornholm.

The former Sjælsmark Barracks, which now operates as a departure centre for rejected asylum seekers, is still laid out as a barracks and could accommodate up to 1,000 soldiers.

“Sjælsmark is an existing location with buildings, infrastructure and proximity to training grounds,” Slotved said. He added that this would allow the authorities to act quickly and use existing buildings instead of starting from scratch.