[Jan Fisher]

The federal opposition and military experts are calling on the government to consider recruiting non-citizens for the armed services.

Only Australian citizens can serve in the armed forces, with exceptions made in very rare circumstances.

There are suggesting that Pacific Islanders and citizens from other friendly nations such as New Zealand, Japan, the US and the UK be made eligible to boost staff numbers.

According to The Age, the government wants an extra 18,500 uniformed personnel by 2040, but is struggling to even maintain current levels.

The opposition says Australia should open service in the armed forces as an “accelerated” pathway to citizenship.

A similar system operates in the UK, where Nepalese Ghurkhas can take up citizenship. Fijians who serve in the UK army are granted ‘indefinite leave’ to stay in the UK.

Do you think we should open up the army to other nations?

[FrankC]

Not from north of Cape York peninsula !

[KSS]

And not from any country that went down the ‘Belt and Road’ investment pathway or where a country has more debt to one country for infrastructure than they can generate to repay it.

[FrankC]

In a case of national security, a citizen would give the government more clout than a non citizen, in a case of prosecution for soem form of espionage, I would have thought, perhaps I could be wrong.

[Author]

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