CAF: Now Indian youth will be able to join the Canadian Army, these conditions will have to be fulfilled

There is good news for Indian youth living in Canada. They will now be able to join the Canadian military. According to several media reports, the Canadian Armed Forces are struggling with low troop numbers. Learning from the ongoing war in Ukraine, the government is keen to expand its military. So recently the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced that people who have lived in the country for the past ten years are eligible to enroll themselves in the program.

Thousands of vacancies in the Canadian military

Apart from this, a report published in September also states that the army is facing an acute shortage of skilled people. Therefore, it has been decided to increase the number gradually. The government has decided to add at least 5,900 new members to the CAF by the end of this year. According to reports, there are thousands of vacancies in the Canadian Army. Efforts are being made to fill those posts.

There will be a change in the recruitment rules of CAF

Another major reason behind this move is the dwindling number of applications from the permanent citizens of the country. This has raised serious concerns regarding the security of the country. The government had earlier opposed allowing people of different nationalities to enter, fearing a security lapse. However, such a small number of soldiers forced them to change the CAF's recruitment rules. Canada has about 12,000 permanent soldiers. Recently the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced that they are changing their 'outdated recruitment process' to allow foreigners who have lived in Canada for 10 years to apply.

Welcome the decision

Professor Christian Lauprecht at the Royal Military College of Canada shared that the concept is not new and is followed by countries like France. France uses military service as a path to citizenship. He welcomed the government's move citing instability and threat to international peace.

Target to add new permanent residents

Canada will have more than eight million immigrants with a permanent residency by 2021. About 21.5 percent of the total Canadian population. In the same year, nearly a million Indians became permanent residents of Canada, as the country accommodated a record 405,000 new immigrants in its history. The Government of Canada previously allowed permanent residents to serve with the armed forces under the Skilled Military Foreign Applicant (SMFA) Entry Program. It allowed only trained pilots, and professionals such as doctors or lawyers. Recently Canada released its latest Immigration Level Plan for the upcoming 2023-2025 season. The move is intended to increase the chances of suitable non-Canadian candidates seeking to join the military. It will also change the current demography of the country.

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