German authorities raided Munich’s immigration office on March 11, uncovering a suspected bribery scheme where employees allegedly accepted money in exchange for approving asylum applications.
The investigation, launched by Munich prosecutors, targets five current staff members and one former employee, all accused of making illegal decisions in numerous immigration cases.
The scandal first came to light after the immigration office itself flagged suspicious activity. During an internal audit, officials discovered irregularities in residence permits, prompting them to alert law enforcement. Reports suggest that in early 2024, an employee noticed a man loitering outside the facility, offering “assistance” to migrants—for a price. Despite being banned from the premises, he continued showing up, leading authorities to dig deeper.
A Deepening Investigation
As investigators pieced the puzzle together, they found a pattern: this so-called “fixer” routinely arranged appointments with the same set of clerks. From May 2022 to January 2024, bribes were allegedly exchanged, documents were forged, and asylum approvals were granted under questionable circumstances. One suspect is believed to have acted as the middleman, connecting migrants with officials willing to bend the rules for cash.
Police also searched private residences linked to the suspects. While five individuals remain in custody, reports suggest at least seven people are under investigation.
Political Repercussions
Munich’s immigration office, which employs around 3,800 people, has been under the leadership of Green Party politician Hanna Sammüller-Gradl since 2022. In February 2024, she publicly called for a more welcoming approach to immigration, dismissing Germany’s ongoing deportation debates as mere political theatrics. She also criticized the rising use of “generalized slogans” against migrants, noting that even mainstream political groups—not just the far-right—were guilty of such rhetoric.
Following the raid, Green Party parliamentary leader Mona Fuchs doubled down on the need for accountability. “No public employee should ever abuse their position for personal gain,” she stated, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to rooting out corruption. She also pointed out that the immigration office itself initiated the internal audit and reported the suspicious findings to authorities.
Meanwhile, Manuel Pretzl, head of the Christian Social Union and Free Voters parliamentary group in Munich, is demanding full transparency on the case. With investigations still unfolding, pressure is mounting for a thorough cleanup of the immigration office’s operations.
