Overview
- Authorities executed 13 search warrants on October 8 across Nuremberg, Bamberg, Berlin and Essen with 92 police officers, 10 immigration officials and 7 prosecutors involved.
- Officers seized more than 30 mobile phones and numerous papers, and at the listed residences they encountered only three of the Nigerian spouses.
- The inquiry began when Nuremberg’s immigration office flagged a mid‑2025 surge in EU residence‑card applications from Nigerian nationals citing marriages to Hungarian citizens.
- Investigators suspect Hungarian partners were recruited for payment and that marriages were registered in Rome and Athens, with the Hungarian spouses coming to Germany only for administrative appointments.
- Two people lacking valid residence permits were found during the searches and face separate proceedings, while police focus on identifying ringleaders and say they are examining 38 additional cases.