Passport fraud using identities of Nazi persecution victims: German citizenship obtained fraudulently
Fraudsters are alleged to have posed as descendants of Nazi persecution victims and obtained German passports this way. Der Spiegel reports on alleged deception cases.
Fraudulently obtained passports: Fraudsters exploited biographies of Nazi victims
Fraudsters apparently posed as relatives of Nazi persecution victims in order to obtain German citizenship in this manner. According to DER SPIEGEL (Justice & Crime), the alleged perpetrators are said to have deliberately hijacked biographies of Holocaust victims.
Among the accused is a man named Tian C., whose naturalisation certificate is held by the German Embassy in London. An alleged female passport fraudster from Israel is also named in the report.
The scheme exploits a legal entitlement under German nationality law that facilitates naturalisation for descendants of Nazi persecution victims. Anyone who presents documents proving such descent can apply for German citizenship — without having to reside permanently in Germany.
Authorities face the challenge of identifying forged or manipulated family trees and proof of descent. Der Spiegel describes the case as part of an alleged organised fraud pattern in which historical identities of victims of Nazism were instrumentalised.