A dozen Russians suspected of buying Finnish citizenship
At least 12 Russians are suspected of obtaining Finnish citizenship by paying for fake jobs and language tests.
Finnish authorities have unveiled a widespread fraud scheme involving Russians who allegedly obtained Finnish citizenship through fraudulent means. Investigators suspect that a person orchestrated fictitious employment relationships for foreign nationals, enabling them to apply for Finnish residence permits and citizenship. This illicit activity may have persisted for over two decades.
At least a dozen individuals are implicated in the scheme, obtaining Finnish citizenship under false pretenses. When the investigation commenced in 2024, five others were still in the process of applying for citizenship. The primary suspect established multiple companies in southeastern Finland since 2003.
To secure Finnish citizenship, applicants must demonstrate proficiency in Finnish or Swedish. The investigation uncovered that the main suspect, along with accomplices, allegedly took language proficiency tests and completed study modules on behalf of others. The police and Border Guard maintain that these applicants would not have had a genuine chance of obtaining Finnish citizenship without the fraudulent scheme.
Authorities charge both the applicants and the main suspect with aggravated fraud, while also suspecting them of aggravated forgery and aggravated accounting offenses. All individuals involved are Russian citizens.
Written by urgent.news from Yle News Finland's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
