The Scandal of Illegal Citizenship in Italy: Unraveling a Criminal Network’s Operation and Revealing its Profits

An international network that illegally obtained Italian citizenship for individuals from Brazil has been dismantled by the Italian police. The network used methods such as falsifying documents and accepting large sums of money in exchange for citizenship. The accused individual, an employee of the local Civil Registry and owner of an international intermediation agency, faces charges including violating the law granting Italian citizenship, ideological falsehood in public documents, omission of official documents, abuse of power, and failure to collect consular fees totaling at least 51 thousand euros.

The network operated since 2017 and facilitated the illegal stay of 179 foreign citizens in Italy by fast-tracking the citizenship process for foreign nationals by bypassing necessary certifications and documentary controls. In return for large payments, beneficiaries were able to quickly obtain Italian citizenship ‘jure sanguinis’. The organization was connected to an international organization operating between Brazil, Germany, and Italy which profited from these illegal operations.

According to Italian police, this organization earned over 700 thousand euros illicitly in a three-year period. The investigation revealed the organization’s significant profits and its connections to an international network following a tip from the Italian embassy in UK involving extensive surveillance, witness testimonies and document analysis.