Austrian military commissioner calls for more soldiers with migrant backgrounds

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) - Erwin Hameseder, Austria’s militia commissioner and chairman of the Military Service Commission, called for more soldiers with migrant backgrounds in an interview with public radio station O1 on Wednesday.

His remarks come against the backdrop of the Austrian Armed Forces’ strained personnel situation. Most recently, only 16% of an age cohort completed the six-month basic military service.

Of the remaining conscripts, some were exempted due to being deemed unfit or opting for civilian service.

In addition, the number of conscripts has declined overall due to low birth rates in certain age cohorts.

Hameseder proposed raising the maximum age for beginning basic military or civilian service from 35 to 40.

According to Hameseder, this would make it clear that “one cannot evade one’s civic duty in this way,” while also increasing the incentive to apply for Austrian citizenship earlier.

According to the chairman of the Military Service Commission, some individuals deliberately delay their naturalization to avoid compulsory military service.

In addition, the commission intends to have an assessment to determine whether voluntary military service could be introduced for foreign nationals who live legally and permanently in Austria.

“This would promote integration and could be directly linked to the granting of citizenship,” Hameseder added.

An even more far-reaching step toward increasing the number of soldiers would be to extend conscription to women. The Military Service Commission has not yet made a clear commitment to this.

However, its final report recommends evaluating the relevant data “based on demographic trends and social change” to assess “any necessary expansion of the draft to include women.”