Germany raids 50 sites over alleged Syrian document fraud ring
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – German authorities on Tuesday launched coordinated raids on more than 50 homes and businesses as part of an investigation into a suspected trafficking network accused of misusing Syrian refugees’ residency documents to facilitate illegal entry into the country.
About 1,000 officers took part in the operation in and around the eastern city of Leipzig, the federal police office in Halle an der Saale said in a statement.
Investigators believe the network used genuine residency permits issued to Syrians living in Germany. These documents were allegedly sent to individuals in Syria with similar physical features, enabling them to travel to Germany under false identities.
Most of those targeted in the raids are suspected of allowing their documents to be used in the scheme, while a smaller number are accused of facilitating “unauthorized entry” into the country.
Police said they seized mobile phones, residency documents, flight booking records and at least €93,000 in cash. Authorities also reported discovering potential violations of narcotics and explosives laws, adding that some suspects may have links to organized crime.
Forty-four suspects underwent formal identification procedures as part of the investigation.
German police said many of the suspected fraud cases were uncovered by “document and visa advisers” stationed at airports across the Middle East. Since 2024, 71 such advisers have been deployed by Germany outside the European Union to assist visa sections at embassies and consulates, as well as airlines at major international airports.
Germany hosts the largest Syrian diaspora in the European Union, with more than one million Syrians, many of whom arrived during the peak of migration flows in 2015–2016.
The raids come weeks after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met Syria’s Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Berlin. Merz said the two sides were working toward enabling more Syrians to return to their homeland, adding that the goal was for 80 percent of Syrians in Germany to return over the next three years.
Al-Sharaa has recently expanded diplomatic engagement with Western governments, making visits to the United States, France and Russia. Several international sanctions imposed during the rule of former president Bashar al-Assad have been eased in recent months as part of efforts to support Syria’s post-war recovery.