Pay €25,000 for visa: Indian firm under probe after Spain's Algerian migration crisis
Indian firm BLS International is under investigation by a Spanish National Court for its alleged involvement in a visa fraud network operating out of the Spanish consulate in Algiers. The network is accused of charging families large sums to secure Schengen visas through bribery and falsified documentation.
Why it matters
The case highlights systemic corruption risks in outsourced government services and the vulnerability of international migration systems to organized crime.
Indian company BLS International has been drawn into a Spanish National Court investigation with links to alleged visa fraud network at Spain’s consulate in Algiers.The probe, led by Judge María Tardón, was expanded to examine the role of companies handling visa appointments and document processing, including BLS, which is contracted by Spain’s Foreign Ministry, as reporte dby Spanish news outlet The Objective.The investigation began following “official communications” from the Spanish Embassy in Algeria, which alerted authorities to a network allegedly “profiting through the fraudulent issuance of Schengen visas”. Judicial sources said the network allegedly charged applicants up to €25,000 per family to secure visas and residence or work permits, including for people who did not meet the formal requirements.The case initially led to the arrests of consulate chancellor Vicente Moreno and local employee Mohamed Boutouchent in April.
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