An audit of the Immigration Directorate has highlighted a heavy workload for staff, inconsistent application of procedures, insufficient internal controls, and overly broad access to offices and case files.
Commissioned by Minister for Home Affairs Léon Gloden, the audit followed reports from the Public Prosecutor’s Office this summer of a major ongoing investigation into alleged fraudulent immigration and corruption.
Specifically, the investigation concerns residence permits granted for non-EU workers. The audit’s conclusions are to be presented to the relevant Chamber committee on Wednesday afternoon.
In response to the audit, Minister Gloden announced immediate steps to boost staffing levels and accelerate the digitalisation of case files to improve controls and traceability.
The Directorate has also been given new resources to verify the authenticity of language certificates more effectively.
However, the Minister stressed that responsibility for issuing residence permits is shared with various other actors and administrations, who issue certificates or verify documents, and that fraud can occur at multiple stages in the process.
According to Gloden, absolute security against fraud is impossible if individuals are determined to circumvent the system.
