The state prosecutor in the West German city of Offenbach near Frankfurt is investigating allegations that more than 1000 Soviet Jews with Israeli citizenship have paid large sums to obtain work and residence permits in the city. This followed a report in the Israeli paper Yediot Achronot claiming that the emigres were paying intermediaries up to $1000 to obtain the necessary permits.
The Offenbach local authorities have conceded that there has been a rapid rise in the number of Israeli citizens in the area, from 458 at the start of 1974 to 1100 presently. A spokesman said there was “no doubt that a carefully planned action is underway.” The immigrants are almost all from the Soviet Union and other East European bloc countries. They reportedly first went to Israel but soon after came to Germany.
Under the guise of being German descendants (“ehemalige Volksdeutsche”) they then applied for refugee papers which entitled them to immediate social security benefits. Many are reportedly forced, because of the high unemployment in the region, to work illegally for cutrate wages, part of which is paid as “commission” to the intermediary.
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