Foreign Nationals To Be Allowed To Join Armed Forces Without Having Lived In Uk Amid Recruitment Crisis

The National Audit Office found a shortfall of 8,200 regulars in the armed forces in 2018. Photo Credit: EPA

Citizens of Commonwealth countries will be able to join the British armed forces even if they do not live in Britain, the government said on Monday.

Britain’s junior Defence minister Mark Lancaster said in a statement on Monday to parliament that the previous five-year residency requirement for Commonwealth army recruits has been removed.

“Applications will be accepted from all Commonwealth countries,” Lancaster said in his statement, adding that the reform had been introduced “in light of changes to the size of our armed forces”.

Lancaster said that Commonwealth applicants would have to be aged over 18 — two years more than the minimum for Britons — so as “to mitigate the risks associated with unaccompanied minors travelling to the UK without the guarantee of a job”.

A limited waiver to the residency requirement had already been introduced in 2016 to allow up to 200 Commonwealth personnel per year to fill skill shortage posts. This cap has now been increased to 1,350 across the navy, army and air force personnel.

Lancaster also said that a 15 percent limit on Commonwealth nationals in strategic British army positions would be maintained “to sustain operational effectiveness”.





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