Grosseto entrepreneur and wife arrested in immigration fraud scheme

An entrepreneur in Grosseto and his wife have been arrested following an investigation into a fraudulent scheme involving Italy’s ‘Decreto Flussi’ (Flow Decree) immigration system. Authorities allege the couple exploited the legal procedure to recruit non-EU citizens, primarily from Morocco, by promising regular employment and residency permits.

According to investigators, victims were charged approximately 10,000 euros each for the promise of work in the agricultural sector. Once in Italy, the jobs proved to be non-existent. To maintain their documentation and stay in the country, migrants were reportedly forced to pay additional sums, including up to 1,000 euros for fake payslips documenting non-existent employment relationships.

The investigation, conducted by the Guardia di Finanza and Carabinieri, suggests that 31 non-EU citizens entered Italy illegally through this system, while 22 others were issued entry visas based on irregular procedures. The couple faces charges of aggravated complicity in aiding illegal immigration.