The Army opens up the prospect of accelerated US citizenship for migrants
As reported by «Zagranitsa» earlier, at the end of last year the US Defense Department decided to enlist for active duty persons who are in the country on temporary visas. Requirements are being in the US for two years and possessing professional skills in medicine, foreign languages, high technology, etc. According to «Voice of America», voluntary enlistment in the army opens up for such people the prospect of accelerated US citizenship after six months.
Despite the fact that persons with a green card (permanent residence) are constantly recruited for military service, the US Army is opening its doors for the first time since the Vietnam War to immigrants living in America on temporary visas. Initially, the number of such individuals will be limited to one thousand per year, but later, if the pilot program is successful, this practice will be expanded.
The head of the Pentagon's Personnel Management Office, Lieutenant General Benjamin Freakley, cites these figures: currently, 8,000 green card holders enlist in the armed forces annually. The number of recruited temporary immigrants could gradually reach 14,000. At the moment, about 22,000 servicemen do not have US citizenship.
«The American army is deployed in many countries where knowledge of local languages and cultural specifics is a critically important element. I am confident that we will be able to attract talented people,» said General Freakley. He recalled that many types of temporary visas are granted to persons with academic degrees and diplomas in deficit professions. Meanwhile, 82% of recruits from US citizens have only secondary education.
According to «The New York Times», the pilot program will be launched in New York, where 550 holders of temporary visas who speak, in addition to English, one of 35 sought-after languages will be recruited. These include Arabic, Chinese, Kurdish, Pashto, Russian, and Tamil. Enlistment will begin after the Department of Homeland Security publishes new immigration rules.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation also called on unemployed foreign migrants to find employment in the army. As the newspaper «Trud» reported, the idea was put forward by Deputy Defense Minister Colonel General Nikolai Pankov. He noted that the law allowed foreigners to serve in the Russian army under contract four years ago. No one will specifically promote this opportunity now, but if the influx of migrant contract workers increases, the armed forces will only be glad.
Currently, according to official data, 308 such soldiers serve in the Russian army. There are no quotas for admission, but most applicants are rejected – they do not meet the requirements. They have poor knowledge of Russian, no secondary education, poor health, or are in the country illegally. Those aged 18 to 30 are accepted, but migrants often decide to serve too late. They can only sign a contract for three years and serve in enlisted and sergeant positions; officer schools are closed to them.
To continue service, foreigners must obtain Russian citizenship. However, this is done according to a simplified scheme – soldiers are spared the hassle of collecting documents, just an application is enough. The newspaper writes that often the desire to obtain Russian citizenship becomes the main reason why foreign migrants go to serve in the Russian army.
However, the initiative of Russian generals to fill the ranks of contract soldiers with foreigners has drawn sharp criticism from experts. Thus, First Vice President of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems Konstantin Sivkov, in a comment to the publication «Expert», stated that the recruitment of foreigners into the army could lead to a direct undermining of the country's defense capability. «We are entering an acute crisis,» he noted. «The situation is fraught with local wars and armed conflicts. An armed conflict has already occurred in the Caucasus. Will foreign soldiers fight on the side of the Russian army? Where is the guarantee that people who are knowingly prepared from among our adversaries will not volunteer to join the Russian army in order to later solve problems of dismantling this army?»
«The question of the procedure for checking those wishing to serve in the army is not on the table, it was not discussed. A person who goes to serve in the army must take the military oath. If he does not take the oath, then what kind of mercenary is he? The use of mercenaries is prohibited by international law,» said the expert.
It should be noted that the legislation of Ukraine also categorically prohibits its citizens from serving in armed formations of other countries. Thus, for participation «in armed conflicts of other states for the purpose of obtaining material remuneration», a citizen of Ukraine faces from three to eight years of imprisonment.