LISBON, Portugal: Portuguese police said on May 26 that they have broken up a criminal group that was illegally helping about 4,000 migrants get legal status. They also arrested two suspected leaders. This comes as the center-right government is making immigration rules stricter.
The police said the operation, called "Miraculous Land," took place on May 25 near Lisbon. It targeted a group involved in illegal immigration, fake documents, computer fraud, and money laundering.
Authorities said the group made hundreds of thousands of euros in illegal profits over the years by helping migrants regularise their status.
The government has tightened immigration laws, saying that earlier rules made it too easy for foreigners to enter the job market and were being misused.
Police said the group used stolen online Social Security details from many inactive or bankrupt companies to create fake job contracts and other documents.
The investigation started in September 2023. The main suspects—a businessman and a lawyer—are one foreign national and one Portuguese citizen, but their names have not been released.
Portugal, with a population of about 10.5 million, has seen a significant rise in immigration in recent years. According to the migration agency AIMA, more than 1.5 million foreign citizens were legally living in the country last year, about twice as many as three years ago.
