Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has undertaken any assessment of the potential merits of establishing a recruitment pathway for Ukrainian nationals lawfully resident in the UK to serve in the British Armed Forces.

Ukrainian nationals including those who are in the UK under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme are not eligible to join the UK Armed Forces unless they meet the nationality requirements which require individuals to be a British (British Citizen, British Overseas Citizen, British Overseas Territory Citizen, British National (Overseas) Citizen, British Protected Person or British Subject) Irish or a Commonwealth Citizen. This can be as a sole or dual national although there are some single Service differences. The British Army also has the Brigade of Gurkhas who are from Nepal. There are no current plans to change these nationality requirements.

If, however, a Ukrainian national is a dual British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen or is eligible to apply for and be granted citizenship of one of these countries, they could then apply to join. They would need to meet the same age, medical, educational and fitness requirements as anyone else, as well as the same security vetting requirements.