Australia recruiting non-citizens amid manpower shortages
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Defense Minister Richard Marles says less strict eligibility criteria allow "permanent residents who have been living in Australia for 12 months" to serve starting in July.
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Australian troops dismount from an MRH-90 Taipan during Exercise Chau Pha at Townsville Field Training Area, Townsville, Queensland, on June 12, 2023. (AP)
Non-citizens are now allowed to join the armed forces of Australia to meet recruitment goals falling short, as confirmed by the Australian government and Defense Minister Richard Marles.
Marles announced that less strict eligibility criteria would allow "permanent residents who have been living in Australia for 12 months" to serve from July, adding that UK, Canadian, US, and New Zealand citizens are being favored.
Military spending in Australia has surged recently as it purchases fleets of submarines, jets, and scores of fighting vehicles to combat regional tensions, but the struggle lies in finding sufficient pilots and troops to operate the machinery.
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Data from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute shows that the Australian Defense Forces today depend on almost 90,000 personnel, including reserves; to compare, China's military has approximately two million personnel.
Marles claims that the Australian Defense Force's recruiting is "essential to meet the nation's security challenges through the next decade and beyond."
Australia has been aiming high with low chances, as back in February, it announced a decade-long plan to double its fleet of surface combatant ships from 11 to 26 and enhance defense spending by an additional $7 billion amid the fast-paced Asia-Pacific arms race.
At the time, Marles stated, "It is the largest fleet that we will have since the end of the Second World War."
The country will get six Hunter class frigates, 11 general-purpose frigates, three air warfare destroyers, and six state-of-the-art surface warships that do not need any crew members. This means that the two percent target for defense spending set by the NATO allies will be exceeded by Australia, as this plan will elevate its spending to 2.4 percent of the gross domestic product.
In October, Marles declared that the country is deploying a "significant contingent" of troops and aircraft to the Middle East.
It is worth noting that the Australian Army has joined in on every major war the United States has waged since World War I, including its war on Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam.
Read more: Australia announces 'major restructuring' of army
