Immigrants With Permanent Residency Status Can Now Be Recruited By The Canadian Army
As the military struggles with low recruitment levels, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have announced that permanent residents, including a significant number of Indians, will now be permitted to enlist.
The decision was made five years after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) declared that they would change their outdated recruitment process, which would allow permanent residents who have lived in Canada for ten years to apply, according to CTV News.
Candidates must be Canadian citizens, at least 18 years old (or 16 with parental agreement), and have completed grades 10 or 12, depending on whether they intend to serve as officers. These requirements will also be applicable to permanent residents, with the obvious exception of the citizenship requirement.
With only roughly half the candidates it needs each month to reach its target of recruiting 5,900 new members this year, the CAF raised the alarm in September about a serious recruitment shortfall that was preventing it from filling thousands of open positions.
The military hasn’t confirmed whether the recent action was taken to increase recruitment, but Christian Leuprecht, a professor at the Royal Military College of Canada, believes it makes sense.
He argues that many other nations have been doing this for years, so hiring non-citizens is by no means a novel idea.
Anita Anand, the Defence Minister, stated in March that the CAF must expand if it is to satisfy international demands brought on by Russia’s ongoing, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
The adjustment coincides with Canada’s publication of its Immigration Levels Plan for 2023–2025. By the end of 2025, the strategy hopes to have welcomed 5 lakh, new permanent residents, to Canada annually. The number of individuals the military can choose from could significantly increase as a result.
In 2021, around 1 lakh Indians moved to Canada permanently. India is the top country of birth for recent immigrants, according to Statistics Canada data, where one in five people who immigrate to Canada are born.
Nearly a quarter of Canadians are or have been landed immigrants or permanent residents, according to the census 2021. Immigrants are also excellent candidates for the military since they frequently come to Canada when they are still young workers and are therefore more likely to be physically active.
Opening up recruitment to legal residents will also alter the demographics of the military, which at present only has 16% of women and less than 12% of visible minorities. White guys make up the remaining three-quarters.
News Mania Desk
