Accountant is accused of creating fake employment contracts to help immigrants obtain legal status in the Netherlands
A 58-year-old accountant from the Algarve has been accused of arranging a scheme to create fake employment contracts, helping immigrants gain legal status in the Netherlands.
Between 2016 and July 2023, the accountant reportedly provided a “fast track” for individuals who wanted access to the Schengen Area without actually residing in Portugal, reports Jornal de Notícias. She is believed to have profited around €16,000 from the scheme, according to the newspaper.
According to the charges brought against her, the woman is accused of fabricating employment contracts for immigrants, presenting them as cleaners, sales agents, or commission-based workers earning salaries between €530 and €600, when in reality, the immigrants neither performed these jobs nor received any payment, and instead paid her €1,000 per fake contract.
With the help of two accomplices, the accountant also provided false residency declarations and assisted in navigating procedures with Portugal’s former Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) and Social Security, JN adds.
In addition to the €1,000 paid by immigrants, they also paid an additional €200 to €250 monthly for Social Security contributions.
The investigation, led by the SEF (former border authority since replaced by AIMA) branch in the Algarve, revealed falsified information in 38 contracts.
JN reports that six people linked to the scheme were accused, although authorities were unable to track down several immigrants who benefitted from it.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office has charged the accountant with 38 counts of aiding illegal immigration, 38 counts of computer fraud, and 24 counts of false declarations, while one of her accomplices, who acted as a witness to secure false residency declarations, has been charged with 24 counts of false declarations. Another accomplice, who allowed their bank account to be used for receiving payments, faces a charge of money laundering.
The trial is due to start this month at Portimão Court.
