In Chernihiv region, the SBU CI exposed and blocked a group of officials, involved in illegal regularization of foreigner’s stay. Among the “clients” were natives of migration risk states and the agressor country.

The SBU established that the group included former and acting officials of the State Migration Service, the State Border Service, justice institutions and residents’ registration offices, as well as translation bureau. The group members set up a scheme of contracting bogus marriages with Ukrainian citizens and acknowledgement of paternity.

The law enforcement documented that the officials, for various sums of money, systematically forged the necessary documents and entered false data into state databases. The forged documents were used as a basis for issuing permits to stay in Ukraine to natives of Middle East and Russia.

Moreover, part of the foreigners were granted the permits even without their stay in Ukraine. Nevertheless, using the forged documents, the foreigners could freely cross the Ukrainian border and enter the EU countries.

The investigation is ongoing upon the facts of illegal movement of persons across the state border of Ukraine, abuse of office, forgery in office and violation of statutory rules of border guard duty. The issue of serving a notice of suspicion to the group members and choosing a form of detention is now being settled.

The operation was conducted under the supervision of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office in Military and Defence Sphere of the Central Region.