Watch moment GB News audience member and army veteran calls for small boat migrants to serve in military

The Bundestag has voted in favour of the move in a bid to hike national defence in responde to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Back with Patrick live in the studio, the German Parliament's decision gave the army veteran the idea, who told the GB News panel about his time in the army in Germany.

"I was in the army in Germany, Patrick. So I actually served there five years. I did my Northern Ireland training there, which set me up for getting over to Belfast", he said.

"It integrated all Nato forces because you did manoeuvres in Germany which involved all nationalities. The Germans, the Dutch, the Belgians - everybody worked as a team.

"Even the Americans had bases which we integrated with and learned to work together. I think it's a fantastic idea.

"It's great for the youth of today. If you get another defence force, you've all got to work together. So Germany is the best training ground you're ever going to get for it."

He went on to ask: "We seem to have integration pushed down our throats a lot by this country that we should all work together, get along together.

"Wouldn't it be a great idea if all the boat people that came in had to go and do 12 months training with the military to represent this country on behalf of it?"

Panellist and journalist Linda Duberley weighed in on the matter, agreeing that military service was "good for young people".

However, she also stressed the need to boost national defence.

"But what I think we don't recognise sometimes enough is that this is the most dangerous period we are facing since the end of the Cold War, and there is a need to actually beef up our armed services," she added.

"If you look across Europe, the Germans are doing it, the French have done it, Denmark already has it, Finland has it, Sweden has it.

"And at the end of the day, we have to get behind our military.

"And it's not just a question of recruitment, it is a question of giving them what they need for support.

"And that is the right accommodation, the right training, the right equipment and the right weapons, because we have to do this right now to, to to be unified with Europe and, and to actually stand firm against a threat from Putin.

In Germany, the policy has stirred up criticism from students who have protested against the voluntary military service.

Meanwhile, Britain currently works with a professional army and is the only nation that allows 16-year-olds to join with parental consent.

The UK system is in the company of Albania, Czechia, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain,

But other countries in Europe are beginning to diverge from the norm in the face of the growing threat of Russia.