A Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Emergency Response Team subdivision) officer stands watch as his colleagues search for migrants aboard R-V Strait Hunter, which was simulating a migrant vessel, May 8, 2012, in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, during 120508-N-IL267-091

Paramilitary describes forces which are organised as military forces, but are not part of the Armed Forces. Examples of such forces are police forces guarding the borders of a country. There are paramilitary groups that are official (run by a country), and others that are not.

The name comes from Greek para (which means beside) and Latin miles (which means soldier).