February 13, 2026

Migration Can Provide the Manpower for European Defense

By: Adham Sahloul

This article was originally published in Foreign Policy.

Europe faces parallel challenges that policymakers have yet to connect: a pressing military recruitment shortage and an ongoing migration challenge. While politicians wring their hands over both issues separately, an opportunity has been hiding in plain sight. European countries should create a pathway to citizenship for immigrants willing to serve in their armed forces.

Europe faces parallel challenges that policymakers have yet to connect: a pressing military recruitment shortage and an ongoing migration challenge.

Europe’s manpower crisis is real. According to recent defense reporting, in 2025 Germany’s Bundeswehr saw recruiting continue to fall behind targets, despite recruitment campaigns. The United Kingdom continues to fall short of its annual recruitment goal, with more service members leaving than joining. France, Italy, and the Netherlands all face similar shortfalls, with more than 20 percent of professional soldier positions remaining unfilled across many European militaries.

Read the full article on Foreign Policy.

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