Bribery scandal in the immigration office: Ex-employees face long prison sentences

Bribery scandal in the immigration office: Ex-employees face long prison sentences

A scandalous bribery case rocks the immigration authorities in the Lüchow-Dannenberg district. According to reports from NDR The public prosecutor's office is demanding a prison sentence of 6 years and 6 months for Jan W., a former employee of the authority. His alleged accomplice, Kastriot G., is expected to face 9 years in prison. The trial has been running at the Lüneburg Regional Court since February and will be concluded with the verdict in the next two weeks.

What exactly happened? Jan W. is accused of having illegally issued residence permits in 17 cases. He is said to have helped refugees obtain permanent residence permits, settlement permits and even naturalization in exchange for money. So it is not surprising that suspicions arose when a district council heard about the investigation in October 2022. A leaflet appeared that named the defendants and offered prices for the forged papers, the reported Picture.

The allegations in detail

The allegations against Jan W. are serious. Between January and June 2022, he is said to have collected between 4,000 and 10,000 euros per case, which amounts to a total of at least 35,000 euros in bribes. During a search of his apartment, 16,000 euros in cash were found in the safe and 2,000 euros in the glove compartment of his car, which further supports the allegations.

Kastriot G., the accomplice who was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison for aggravated robbery in June 2024, is accused of having acquired the customers in this plot. The applicants came from various regions, including Hamburg, and included Turks, Georgians and people from the Arab region. In many cases, these applicants were not required to provide proof of their language skills, even though they presented fake residence permits.

A social problem?

The event sheds a bright light on corruption in Germany. Loud Statista Around 3,840 corruption offenses were recorded by the police in 2023, which corresponds to an increase of around 7 percent compared to the previous year. Corruption continues to be a hotly debated topic, particularly in political and public institutions.

Correctness and transparency in dealing with official matters are of utmost importance to society. After all, surveys show that 66 percent of respondents perceive corruption in national public institutions, and 62 percent believe that local institutions are also affected. The misery in the case of the Lüchow-Dannenberg immigration office could only be the tip of the iceberg.

The defense's arguments in this revealing trial are due next week. It remains to be seen whether the court will comply with the prosecution's tough demands. What is certain, however, is that corruption, be it in politics or in authorities, has a high price - for everyone involved.