Australia is seeking to overcome enlistment shortfalls by opening the ranks of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to recruits from foreign countries, the BBC reports.
From July, New Zealand nationals who are permanent residents of Australia can apply to join, and from next year that will expand to recruits from the UK and other countries including the US and Canada.
The BBC reports that Minister for Defence Richard Marles said the changes to eligibility requirements were “essential to meet the nation’s security challenges through the next decade and beyond”.
In recent years, Australia has sought to boost ties with the UK and the US. In 2021, Canberra signed the Aukus pact, a far-reaching defence and security alliance aimed at confronting Chinese military expansion in the Indo-Pacific region.
Australia, the UK, US, Canada and New Zealand also work closely in intelligence-sharing under an alliance called the Five Eyes.
According to the BBC, there is a focus on recruiting people from these nations, but Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh has said that from January 1 “any” eligible permanent resident can apply.