Five individuals—three Italians and two foreigners—are under investigation by Italian authorities for document forgery and assisting in irregular residency practices. The investigation, led by the Marsela Prosecutor’s Office, reveals that the group orchestrated a fake marriage to secure a residency permit for one foreign national and fabricated a job for another to help him renew his permit, in exchange for money, as reported by Schengen.News.
The probe, initiated in 2020 by the Digos division of Catania police in Sicily, started as part of an investigation into potential terrorist cells involved in “ghost landings” along the coast near Catania.
During the investigation, authorities uncovered the involvement of a 52-year-old Tunisian man, who remains on the run. He is wanted for multiple crimes related to organized efforts facilitating irregular migration. According to Info Migrants, the Tunisian man allegedly recruited two Marsala residents, aged 37 and 33, to arrange a sham marriage with a 32-year-old woman undergoing psychiatric treatment, which would allow him to obtain a residency permit.
The couple was married in a civil ceremony in 2020, but investigations later revealed that the marriage was fraudulent. The Tunisian man was already in a relationship with someone from his home country, and the couple never cohabited.
Increased Migration and Returns from Italy
Italy is facing a growing number of migrants attempting to enter the country irregularly. Eurostat data shows that in the third quarter of 2024, Italy issued 7,130 orders for third-country nationals to leave the country. In the first quarter of 2024, 6,965 orders were issued, followed by 6,380 in the second quarter. This places Italy fifth in the EU for the highest number of return orders issued to third-country nationals.
Residence Permits Issued in 2023
According to the Italian Institute for Statistics (Istat), in 2023, Italy granted 330,730 residence permits to foreign nationals. The total number of foreign nationals with regular residence permits in Italy reached 3.6 million. However, the data also revealed a notable decline in the issuance of work permits, with only 39,000 employment-related residence permits granted in 2023, marking a 42.2% decrease compared to the previous year.
