The federal government is not tracking how many Australians have travelled overseas to serve in foreign militaries such as the Russian and Israeli armies, officials have told Senate estimates hearings.
Greens senator David Shoebridge pressed Home Affairs officials at Senate estimates hearings on Thursday about why it was legal for Australians to fight for foreign armies and whether the government was keeping records of those who did so.
“We don’t track Australians overseas,” Australian Border Force commissioner Gavan Reynolds said when asked about the issue.
Australian law permits Australian dual nationals to serve in overseas militaries, but not for non-state actors.
At least 502 Australian-Israeli dual nationals are enrolled in the Israeli military, information obtained by the Israeli non-government organisation Hatzlacha through freedom of information laws shows.
Asked whether Australians should be allowed to serve in the Russian military given that country’s invasion of Ukraine, Environment Minister Murray Watt said: “We would not encourage Australians to do that. We have held a strong position that Russia’s war on Ukraine is illegal, immoral, unjustified – every other negative adjective you can think of.”
