False naturalization scandal: Police officers are stalking you!

False naturalization scandal: Police officers are stalking you!

In a high-profile case involving naturalization in Berlin, an employee of the State Office for Naturalization and two members of a naturalized family are suspected of bribery and false certification. Again CityReport reported, there were searches in the Berlin districts of Marzahn and Rudow on April 15, 2025. These measures were carried out on behalf of the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office and target a 38-year-old employee of the office who is accused of illegally granting German citizenship to a family from North Macedonia.

What is particularly explosive is the fact that the family had already withdrawn their naturalization applications. It is all the more surprising that the employee was not authorized to carry out the naturalization process. Instead, serious accusations are made against him: he is said to have signed naturalization certificates with a false name and used a foreign seal. He is also accused of deleting the affected family's immigration files. The investigations into these manipulations were carried out by the state office's anti-corruption officer and employees of the IT department, who became aware of possible irregularities, as well as the Daily Mirror thematised.

Evidence and motives

During the searches on April 15, investigators found numerous electronic storage media, which are now being evaluated to secure further evidence. It can be assumed that the digital documents contain detailed information about access to the family's records. According to authorities, the main suspect may have misused passwords to manipulate or delete the files. This raises serious questions about the security of the new digital naturalization process, which only moved from the districts to the state office in 2024.

Another interesting aspect is the assumed personal relationship between the employee and one of the naturalized women. Such entanglements could be seen as a motive for the violations of the law. Two other suspects in this case are a 39-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman, who also belong to the family and are suspected of bribery.

The legal framework

The allegations should not be underestimated, as bribery in the public service is severely punished under German law. According to that Haufe Portal, accepting benefits for public officials can result in serious legal consequences. Individuals who offer or contribute to bribery in any way are also the focus of investigations and may face financial penalties or imprisonment. The integrative relationship between citizens and administration could be severely strained by this incident.

At the moment it remains exciting to see how the investigation develops and what measures the Berlin authorities will take to restore the population's trust in a transparent and fair naturalization process. Because one thing is clear: There is something going on and the public will be watching closely.