In the German town of Düren, several politicians, including Werner Stump (CDU) and Jens Bröker (SPD), have been implicated in a fraud investigation for accepting payments to make fake residency permits for wealthy Chinese nationals.

Several local politicians from the mainstream parties in the German town of Düren have been implicated by the primary suspect in an ongoing fraud investigation. They are accused of accepting payments to obtain fictitious residency permits for affluent Chinese citizens.

Local officials were allegedly participating in the plan and got incentives to turn a blind eye, according to Claus B., a lawyer who is suspected of spearheading a criminal business that offered its services to foreign nationals and formed fictitious firms in Germany to help with work permits.

Werner Stump, a former district administrator of CDU, was charged with knowing about the racket and has maintained close contact with Claus B., having invited the suspect to frequent parties at a hotel he owns and meeting with him frequently to discuss real estate transactions. Stump maintains he has done all required to assist the authorities conducting the investigation and has denied breaking any laws about the issuance of residency permits.

As the department head for change and development in the Düren district and a former candidate for the SPD district administrator position, Jens Bröker is another politician who has been implicated in the scheme as a key player. It is alleged that he received up to €300,000 in exchange for using his influence to facilitate the approval of residence permit applications upon landing on his desk.

Bröker has also been removed from his positions and is being held in jail. German media contacted his defense lawyer for comment, but he did not reply.

Other political figures implicated in the scandal include District Administrator Wolfgang Spelthahn (CDU), who is the president of the local football team FC Düren, which receives significant sponsorship and funding from businesses owned by Claus B; Dirk Hürtgen (CDU), the current treasurer and former head of the immigration department; and Sybille Haußmann (Greens), his successor, who is accused of having facilitated the permit approvals.

According to news site Junge Freiheit, Spelthahn has refuted claims that he “received any monetary payments or other benefits” and maintains that the sponsorship agreements with FC Düren were “documented transparently, properly taxed and processed and supported by the entire board.”

Last year, GreatgameIndia reported that, according to USA Today, migrant-smuggling “influencers” are using TikTok to advertise their services, leveraging popular hashtags such as “sueño americano” (“American dream”).

Last year, GreatGameIndia reported that, according to USA Today, migrant-smuggling ‘influencers’ are using TikTok to advertise their services, leveraging popular hashtags such as ‘sueño americano’ (‘American dream’).