Bribe scandal in the immigration office: ex-employees threaten long prison terms

Bribe scandal in the immigration office: ex-employees threaten long prison terms

Lüchow-Dannenberg, Deutschland - A scandalous bribe shook the immigration authority in the Lüchow-Dannenberg district. According to reports from NDR for Jan W. Years and 6 months. His alleged accomplice, Kastriot G., should prepare for 9 years in prison. The process has been running in front of the Lüneburg Regional Court since February and will be completed in the next two weeks with the judgment.

What exactly happened? Jan W. is charged with having illegally granted residence permits in 17 cases. He is said to have helped refugees against money on permanent residence titles, settlement permits and even naturalizations. So it is not surprising that the suspicion came up when a district council heard from the investigation in October 2022. A leaflet appeared that gave the names of the accused and offered prices for the fake papers, reported the Image .

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 were found in cash in the safe and 2,000 euros in the glove compartment of his car, which also underpins the allegations.

Kastriot G., the accomplice, which was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison for severe robbery in June 2024, is accused of acquiring customers in this plot. The applicants came from different regions, including Hamburg, and included Turks, Georgians and people from the Arab world. In many cases, these applicants did not have to provide any voice proof, although they presented fake residence permits.

a social problem?

The action throws a bright light on corruption in Germany. According to Statista , around 3,840 corruption offenses were recorded in 2023, which corresponds to an increase of about 7 percent compared to the previous year. Corruption is still a hotly debated topic in political and public institutions.

Correctness and transparency in dealing with official matters are of the utmost importance for society. After all, surveys show that 66 percent of the 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 authority could only be the tip of the iceberg.

The defense lawyers' pleading in this revealing procedure will be pending in the coming week. It remains to be seen whether the court will fulfill the hard claims of the public prosecutor. However, it is clear that corruption, be it in politics or in authorities, has a high price - for everyone involved.