Major raid in Hamburg refugee shelter: over 200 police officers conduct identity checks
German police conducted a major raid on a large refugee shelter in Hamburg on Thursday morning. More than 200 officers, including specialist units, checked around 1,000 registered persons on suspicion of identity fraud and misuse of social benefits.
Major raid in Hamburg refugee shelter: over 200 police officers conduct identity checks
German police launched a large-scale raid on a major refugee shelter in the Hamburg district of Winterhude on Thursday morning at around six o'clock. More than 200 police officers were deployed in the operation, including specialist units of the BFE (Evidence Preservation and Arrest Unit) as well as dog handlers, according to Focus.
The officers sealed off all entrances and exits of the four-storey shelter, which currently houses around 1,000 of approximately 1,500 possible persons registered. No one was permitted to enter or leave the building. All those present were checked.
According to official statements, the operation targeted suspects of identity fraud and misuse of social benefits. "The operation focuses on identity checks. We have suspicions of false identities and nationalities, including the fact that applicants do not live here," explained a spokesman. Investigators believe that approximately 150 persons and their children are under consideration.
Staff from the social welfare office were also present during the checks with lists to verify whether benefit recipients actually lived in the shelter and whether their identity matched the information provided.
Identity fraud cases have increased significantly in Hamburg recently. Many foreigners claim to be Ukrainian refugees in order to obtain benefits. Others do live in the shelter but provided the office with the address of an unused property in order to receive housing allowance.
The number of social benefit fraud cases in Hamburg is rising continuously. In 2024, 107 cases with damage of approximately 1.45 million euros (over 35 million crowns) were recorded. Of the 117 identified suspects, 57 per cent were German according to police statistics. Two years earlier, the number of fraud cases was just 77. Additionally, there is an unknown number of unreported cases, according to NDR.
Source: Novinky.cz
Source: Novinky.cz