An employee at an Osnabrück immigration office is said to have stolen over 40,000 euros for illegal naturalization. Now she is being investigated.
Osnabrück – In more than 300 cases, an employee of the Osnabrück immigration authority is said to have carried out “grossly incorrect naturalizations”. Since January 2022, the 33-year-old is said to have collected fees in cash and put them aside, according to research by Mirror suggests. The district confirmed the number of incorrect naturalizations and that investigations were underway into suspicion of infidelity and taking advantage.
The naturalizations are “according to the current status not relevant under criminal law.” The applicants apparently did not pay any bribes, but only paid the usual fees.
Employees left out relevant queries in the majority of cases
In order to be able to collect the fees in cash, the woman used a middleman. He told the applicants that they should bring cash for their appointment at the office because the EC card reader was broken. During a cash audit last year, irregularities were discovered.
Only then did the authorities check all the naturalizations for which the woman was responsible. The result: 17 applicants apparently received a German passport without clarifying their identity. In 64 cases, the required check by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution was missing, and in 16 cases, inquiries from the police and public prosecutor's office were not requested.
The time requirements were not met for 74 people. In 189 cases, she did not check whether the applicants were able to support themselves. The procedures only lasted a few weeks instead of several months. Immigration authorities are generally considered to be often overwhelmed – applications are piling up nationwide, especially in larger cities.
Naturalizations are unlikely to be revoked – employee files lawsuit
Those who have become naturalized can remain naturalized, according to a district spokesman. It is “only possible under very special conditions” to revoke naturalization. Citizenships are particularly protected. Security checks had revealed nothing relevant.
The woman may have had debts, which is currently suspected to be the motive, he said Mirror. Her lawyer has not yet commented on the allegations. The woman herself is said to have denied all allegations to the district and filed a lawsuit against her dismissal. (cat)
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