Australia launches pilot scheme to enlist up to 100 Papua New Guineans in its defence forces

Australia and Papua New Guinea have agreed on a pilot recruitment programme that could see as many as 100 PNG citizens join the Australian Defence Force within two years. Eligible applicants are 18-25-year-old students or recent graduates from major PNG universities, with the first intake beginning after applications open next month. Participants will initially serve under a temporary visa and are required to seek Australian citizenship once they qualify.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles announced the plan in Port Moresby, describing it as a milestone for both nations' security partnership. The initiative builds on the Albanese government's recent easing of foreign recruitment rules and the introduction of $40,000 retention bonuses, measures that lifted ADF enlistments to over 8,100 last financial year, the highest in 16 years. Prime Minister James Marape has previously hinted that the broader Pukpuk war pact could eventually allow up to 10,000 PNG nationals to serve in the ADF.