The Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) in Albufeira has charged two individuals and two companies with aiding in the act of illegal immigration. Authorities suspect the defendants issued fake employment contracts to foreign nationals seeking to regularise their status with Portugal’s immigration services, the Faro District Prosecutor’s Office announced.
The two individuals and the two commercial companies face charges of fraud, document forgery, and assisting illegal immigration. The case was handled by the 1st Division of the Department of Criminal Investigation and Prosecution in Albufeira, according to the public prosecutor.
A source explained that the two individuals “effectively managed companies […] used to issue false employment contracts and other documents intended to allow nationals from the Indian subcontinent to register on the former SEF platform, with a view to securing legalisation in Portugal”.
The public prosecutor stated that the scheme operated “despite there being no real employment” of the foreign citizens involved. They added that “the defendants charged foreign nationals money in exchange for these contracts and documents. In several cases, even after payment, no document was ever delivered”.
The charge sheet reveals that one of the companies had over 292 registered workers. Of these, 159 were found to have paid for “fake employment contracts used for legalisation purposes” in dealings with immigration authorities.
The investigation also found that, in November 2019, a staggering 142 foreign nationals declared the same residential address in Albufeira, allegedly linked to the defendants.
The inquiry was conducted by the Southern Directorate of the Judicial Police (PJ).
Source: LUSA
