Papua New Guineans Set to Join Australia’s Defence Force

It looks likely that Australia will seek to directly recruit Papua New Guineans to serve in the ADF, but not all observers think it’s a good idea.

Australian Army soldiers from 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment observe an obstacle course demonstration alongside soldiers from His Majesty's Armed Forces of Tonga and the Papua New Guinea Defence Force during Exercise Croix du Sud 2025 at Plum, New Caledonia, on April 22, 2025. Janet Pan/Department of Defence

As talks resume on Australia’s new defence treaty with Papua New Guinea (PNG), Papua New Guineans may soon become eligible to sign up for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

In 2024, Defence Minister Richard Marles said that from July 2025, looser eligibility criteria would allow “permanent residents who have been living in Australia for 12 months” to serve, and that citizens from Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States would be favoured. However, recruiting foreign citizens living offshore takes the idea a step further.