The German Federal Police and the Foreign Office have revealed a new scam that involves foreign nationals presenting as volunteers at the upcoming European Football Championship.
According to Der Spiegel, citing internal sources, people from Türkiye and Uganda, pretending to be volunteers at the upcoming sports event, have presented fake documents when applying for a German visa, SchengenNews reports.
The applicants provided fake letters of invitation to work as volunteers at the upcoming European Football Championship in Germany when applying for a visa at the German embassy in Ankara, Turkey and Kampala, Uganda.
More Than 30 Similar Cases Recorded Recently
Der Spiegel reveals that more than 30 cases of people presenting identical letters in Uganda and Türkiye have been recorded, with the applicants trying to come to Germany on claims of being volunteers at the European Championship, which will be held between June 14 to July 14.
The Federal Police has warned all German diplomatic missions abroad to be extra careful during this period, as such cases can be on the rise in the list of the tournament. It is still unclear whether these individuals have obtained visas or not.
More than 16,000 people are being hired for the European Championship, with many of those also coming from countries outside the EU.
Germany Puts On Tight Security Conditions Ahead of European Championship
The German Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, has announced that there will be an increased police presence during the Championship, with the Federal Police alone deploying 22,000 officers every day.
We will carry out temporary border controls at all German borders during the tournament in order to prevent possible perpetrators of violence from entering the country. This is necessary to provide the best possible protection for this major international event.
These measures are being implemented in order to maintain national security and prevent threats of terrorism, hooligans and other irregularities, while border controls will be put in place during the next month for Germany, in light of the European Championship.
This year, Germany’s neighbouring country of France will be hosting the Olympics. The French Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal has revealed that security measures will be stepped up during the summer season, with the Olympics being held from July 26 to August 11. PM Attal revealed that 4,000 more officers will be deployed during this period.
Millions of people are expected to travel to Europe this summer to attend some of the most important events including the Olympics and the European Championship.
