The Ministry of Defence has been criticised for continuing to encourage British 16 and 17-year-olds to join the armed services, while setting a higher minimum age for Commonwealth citizens wishing to enlist.

Earlier this week the government relaxed a residency qualification to allow more people from Commonwealth countries to join the services but put the age limit at 18 or over.

Campaigners against the recruitment of child soldiers said the decision showed it was “outdated” to still allow British under-18s to sign up.

Isabelle Guitard, director at Child Soldiers International, a charity which campaigns for a rise in the military recruitment age in the UK, said: “Setting 18 as a minimum recruitment age for Commonwealth countries is a sound and welcome decision. But what signal does it send to British teenage recruits? If the armed forces is not safe for a 16-year-old from Ghana, Kenya or Fiji to enlist, then it’s not safe for a British teen either.

“The MoD is not trying to recruit 16-year-olds from the Commonwealth because they know they will be accused of exploitation. Instead, they exploit vulnerable British teenagers often for dangerous and badly paid military jobs.

“This decision shows that the policy of recruiting from 16 in the UK is outdated and when taking a decision on enlistment age in 2018, the armed forces has clearly decided that 18 is a more appropriate age.

“It is time the MoD address its recruitment policy in the UK and move in line with international standards and stop readying teenagers for war.”

The MoD announced that it intended to increase the number of Commonwealth recruits partly by removing a requirement for recruits to have lived in the UK for five years. It said all roles and ranks would be open to Commonwealth citizens aged 18 or over.

The Plaid Cymru MP, Liz Saville Roberts, said the move showed there was a recruitment crisis in the armed forces.

She added: “The recruitment age for officers, Commonwealth applicants and reserves is 18, and with only nominal numbers of under-18s in the RAF and navy, the army is almost the only exception. It is high time the army brought its policy on recruiting at 16 in line with the rest of the armed forces, and stop targeting vulnerable teens.”

An MOD spokesperson said: “Applications will be accepted from all Commonwealth countries, although in order to mitigate the risks associated with unaccompanied minors travelling to the UK without the guarantee of a job, we will not be accepting applications from those under 18.”

Last month the MoD announced that women would be allowed to apply for all military roles in the British armed forces, including in frontline infantry and special forces units.

The MoD points out that recruitment of under-18s into the armed forces meets all legal and policy requirements, both national and international.

It argues the army foundation college offers a mix of military training, personal development, and education for under-19s that provides them with skills to succeed both in the armed forces, and their lives beyond the military. The MoD also says under-18s are not subject to a notice period when they sign up to the army, meaning they can leave when they choose.



