The Alicante National Police uncovered an organized scheme centered on presenting forged Ukrainian temporary protection documents to normalize the status of individuals seeking refuge in Spain. In a coordinated operation, 14 people were arrested for using counterfeit papers while applying for temporary refugee status at the Documentation Office located in Ciudad de la Luz, where a surge in applications followed the war in Ukraine. The detainees, aged 18 to 34 and originating from Morocco, Cuba, and Dominica, faced charges of document falsification. While the authorization letters themselves were authentic in appearance, the accompanying data did not correspond to real records.
The case is being pursued by Group III, the Unit Against Immigrant Networks and False Documents, under the Alicante Provincial Police Station (UCRIF). Investigators continue to pursue additional forged documents and to pursue those who submitted fraudulent requests in Ciudad de la Luz as part of ongoing inquiries.
The conflict in Ukraine has opened a new corridor for asylum and protection procedures, prompting heightened attention from organized crime. The European Union Council issued Decision 2022/238, which activated the temporary protection regime for Ukrainian nationals and certain qualifying third-country nationals who prove lawful residence in Ukraine prior to February 24, 2022. Under this framework, individuals meeting the criteria may access temporary protection in Spain provided they hold a valid permanent residence permit issued under Ukrainian law and can demonstrate that returning to their home region is unsafe or impractical.
UCRIF’s Third Group scrutinized a subset of temporary protection applications filed by applicants of various nationalities. In several cases, those presenting temporary residence permits in Ukraine did not have verifiable ties to Ukrainian residency, and many lacked knowledge about Ukraine itself that would normally raise concerns. This disconnect prompted investigators to question the legitimacy of the documentation and the authenticity of the underlying permits.
Consequently, UCRIF initiated a formal verification process to confirm support document numbers through cooperation with the Interpol National Central Bureau in Spain and direct outreach to its Ukrainian counterpart. The investigation revealed that the documents were not recorded in Ukraine’s State Migration Register. Although the physical documents appeared legitimate, the critical data had not been registered by Ukrainian authorities, leading to the conclusion that those individuals did not possess valid Ukrainian residence permits. Based on these findings, the agents charged the involved persons with suspected fraudulent documentation.