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| Down Under |
| Australian Defence Force offers citizenship fast-track for foreign recruits as it struggles to hire |
| 2024-06-04 |
| [Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Foreigners will be able to join the Australian Defence Force under a fast-track to citizenship. As part of the national defence strategy unveiled in April, eligibility criteria will be expanded to allow more people to join the defence force. From July, eligible New Zealanders will be able to apply to join the Australian military. Permanent residents from all other nations will be able to do the same from January 2025. Once they have served for 90 days, they will be expected to become Australian citizens. Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh said the recruitment drive would not take people out of other countries. 'These are people that have already made Australia home and we are providing them a fast-track to citizenship through joining the Australian Defence Force as well,' he told reporters in Canberra. Mr Keogh clarified in the press briefing that the option was available to all foreign nationals after the initial statement indicated a set group of nations. Australia's low unemployment rate made it difficult to hire defence staff and this announcement was aimed at increasing potential recruits, Mr Keogh said. Non-citizens who want to join the military must have lived in Australia for at least one year before applying, must not have served in a foreign military in the previous two years and must be able to attain Australian citizenship. Defence Minister Richard Marles said this was necessary to 'meet the nation's security challenges through the next decade and beyond'. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #2 I seem to recall from history that this is a very, very bad idea. Especially so for a disarmed nation with so few citizens. Fealty and patriotism are rarely baked in to a mercenary military, especially when they discover they have all the firearms. |
| Posted by: NoMoreBS 2024-06-04 14:02 |
| #1 NATO chief says alliance plans to work 'even more closely' with Indo-Pacific partners |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2024-06-04 10:01 |