Hessen CDU targets organized social crime and welfare fraud

The CDU parliamentary group in the Hessian State Parliament has introduced a motion to combat organized social crime. Thomas Hering, chairman of the Internal Affairs Committee, stated that those who exploit the social welfare system damage public funds, undermine trust in the state, and deprive those in actual need of support.

Key issues identified include illegal employment, social benefit fraud, and billing fraud, often facilitated by unscrupulous intermediaries. The group highlighted gang-related abuse involving labor migration from Southeast and Eastern Europe, where individuals are recruited for sham jobs and exploited in substandard housing while perpetrators collect social benefits and inflated rents. Additionally, clan criminality remains a persistent challenge.

To address these issues, Hessen has implemented statewide action days and weeks involving police, the judiciary, tax administration, municipal job centers, and customs for joint inspections. Efforts are focused on strengthening data exchange between authorities and the seizure of illegally obtained assets, including cash and luxury goods, to ensure that crime does not remain profitable.