Possible fraud in residence permits for Turks | internal

It is said that the ball began when a bakery suddenly tried to recruit fifty bakers from Turkey. The baker’s job is on the list of occupations that are in short supply in Flanders. Since 2019, employers who cannot fill this vacancy can bring non-EU nationals here to do the job via a ‘joint permit’. Only some seem to abuse this immigration channel.

According to political sources, the Consulate General in Istanbul has already suspended at least 130 permits of Turkish employees in Flanders due to suspicion of permit fraud. Other sources indicate more than 700 permits in all regions.

These figures have not been confirmed, but Federal Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor (CD&V) and FPS for Foreign Affairs and Flemish Employment Minister Jo Bruns (CD&V) have acknowledged that an investigation is under way into possible abuse. “Criminal offenses are immediately transferred to the district attorney’s office,” Bruns says. Some employers are already under judicial investigation.

It is remarkable that many employees come from the same region in Turkey. In addition, many orders were placed through the same brokers and consultancies. This indicates that there is an organized system of bringing family and friends here. “Many Turks who came to Flanders with a single permit have already tried it through other immigration channels,” says one of the insiders.