Turkmen Nationals in Belarus Investigated Over Alleged Migration Scheme

Belarusian authorities have launched a criminal investigation into an alleged illegal migration network that reportedly involved hundreds of Turkmen citizens residing in the country, according to a report by state news agency BELTA. The investigation centers on a scheme allegedly orchestrated by three taxi company owners in Minsk. Since 2022, four companies officially registered as taxi service providers were involved in operations that enabled foreign nationals, primarily from Turkmenistan, to obtain temporary residence permits using falsified documents. The business owners, aged between 30 and 38, are accused of hiring foreign nationals on paper to facilitate their acquisition of legal status. Investigators say the suspects collaborated with three intermediaries, themselves undocumented migrants, who advertised the scheme in online chat groups. These groups promised an easy path to legal residency, bypassing official procedures and bureaucracy. According to law enforcement, the operation offered two main methods for obtaining documents. The first involved issuing fake job invitations that prospective migrants could use at Belarusian embassies in Turkmenistan when applying for a visa. The second relied on falsified employment contracts, which migrants then submitted to local migration offices to obtain legal residence. The scheme came to light following coordinated searches at the suspects’ homes and company offices. Authorities seized computers, documents, and other evidence now under review. The suspects, who have been taken into custody, are cooperating with investigators and have reportedly admitted to charging $150 per visa, along with monthly payments from clients seeking to remain in Belarus. The investigation remains ongoing. Belarusian authorities are currently verifying the legal status of all foreign nationals who utilized the services of the implicated companies.