Afghan Veterans Urged to Help Address British Army Recruitment Crisis
As of 28 December 2025, campaigners are urging the British Army to recruit Afghan veterans to help address its ongoing recruitment and retention crisis. The UK Army currently faces a shortfall, with about 500 more personnel leaving than joining this year.
Major Noor Aziz Ahmadzai, an Afghan special forces veteran trained in the UK, is among approximately 1,400 Afghan evacuees and their families who have faced homelessness since receiving sanctuary in the UK after Kabul fell in August 2021. The UK has resettled 37,218 Afghans since then through the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme, which grants them indefinite leave to remain and the right to work. However, army recruitment requires British citizenship, which is only available after five years of residence, and the Ministry of Defence has not relaxed this rule to allow immediate recruitment.
Campaigners point out that many Afghan exiles possess relevant military training, loyalty, and skills, and argue these should be utilized to fill recruitment gaps. Noor Aziz hopes to use his experience in UK military service again and stresses the disconnect between the capabilities of Afghan veterans and the limited opportunities available to them in the armed forces.
A proposal to form a Gurkha-style unit of Afghan veterans has been discussed but faces challenges related to security, cost, integration, and concerns that it could symbolize defeat. Under ARAP, new arrivals receive up to nine months of transitional accommodation and support, and Afghans who gain citizenship can apply for military roles if they meet age, education, and medical criteria.
The issue highlights the tensions between existing citizenship requirements and the potential benefits of employing trained Afghan veterans to support the British Army during a critical personnel shortage.
