To Vima — A report in the German tabloid Bild says that Greece is “paradise of forged passports”, but that Greek Police in 2017 rooted out five major fake passport networks.
according to the report, it was the the wide availability of fake travel documents has led German authorities to suspend Schengen rules for Greek citizens and travelers from Greece, with additional checks, treating travellers from Greece as non-EU citizens.
According to the report, a fake Greek passport along with money back guarantees together with with a ticket to Germany costs between 4,000-5,000 euros.
Bild’s reporter claims to have attempted to buy a fake passport in Athens. “It is easy to find forgers in Athens: in cafes, at kiosks, and refugee reception centres,” the report states.
A Bild journalist bought a 2,000 euro passport, which was cheaper as it was not designed to pass airport checks. The middleman who arranged the deal claimed to be able to procure any country’s passport, including Canadian ones, and said that for refugees Italian and Greek passports are best, but those that can pass airport checks are more expensive.
The middleman said that since German officers were stationed in Greece, the checks are more exhaustive and the fake passport price has risen accordingly.
Currently, the easiest way for those with fake passports to reach Germany is by flying to Italy, and then travelling north by train, according to the report.
