Two men from Bavaria are suspected of helping hundreds of students from non-EU countries remain in Germany illegally by providing fictitious documents in exchange for money. Police in Straubing said on Wednesday that the pair are being investigated on suspicion of commercial people smuggling in numerous cases. The investigation was triggered by Germany’s civil registry office and the immigration authority in Deggendorf.
Authorities became suspicious over the summer after an unusually high number of students from third countries registered addresses in Deggendorf. At several of the listed locations, more people were registered than the available living space would allow. Suspecting sham rental arrangements, officials alerted the police.
Investigators found that the students had initially entered Germany legally with national visas to take up university studies. These visas allow stays of between six and twelve months. To extend their residence permits, students are required to prove they have a registered place of residence.
Attention then focused on two men from Deggendorf. They are suspected of having issued fictitious rental contracts to the students in return for payment, enabling them to unlawfully extend their stays. The duo is believed to have received a low six-figure sum for their services.
In total, the men are alleged to have helped nearly 400 students fraudulently obtain residence permits. During searches of several properties on Wednesday, police seized numerous digital storage devices. The two suspects remain at large.
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