Police busts fake marriage immigration network
Although the marriages granted temporary residency, none of the individuals involved acquired Portuguese nationality through this scheme.

In one of Portugal’s largest operations targeting immigration fraud, the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) has dismantled a criminal network accused of organising dozens of sham marriages to help foreign nationals obtain legal residency.
The operation, codenamed Aliança Digital, led to 58 arrests and involved more than 300 investigators across the Greater Lisbon area.
Authorities executed 57 search warrants and uncovered evidence of at least 60 fraudulent marriages.
How it operated
The network, under investigation since late 2023, primarily targeted financially vulnerable Portuguese women, offering them tens of thousands of euros, up to €33,000 each, to marry men seeking residency in Portugal.
The scheme aimed to exploit legal pathways that grant residence permits, and eventually Portuguese citizenship, to foreign nationals married to EU citizens.
According to José Ribeiro, head of the PJ’s Cybercrime and Technological Crime Unit (UNC3T), all of the brides were Portuguese and had no prior relationship with their “husbands.”
“They met only to sign the marriage contract. Most never saw each other again,” he said, adding that the fraud was both deliberate and systematic.
Initially, the criminal network suggested that immigrants establish companies to qualify for residency.
However, due to the complexity of the process, the operation shifted to organising convenience marriages as a faster and more effective solution.
“They quickly realised fake marriages were an easier route,” Ribeiro explained.
Only the brides arrested
The PJ estimates the network earned roughly €2 million from the marriages.
While many of the foreign nationals involved are no longer in Portugal, all have been identified, and further arrests could follow through international cooperation.
Authorities clarified that although the marriages granted temporary residency, none of the individuals acquired Portuguese nationality.
A legal five-year residency period is required before citizenship can be granted.
The investigation began after suspicions of computer-related fraud revealed a wider scheme involving social media recruitment and word-of-mouth referrals.
The arrests made so far include a large number of the brides involved.
The case is now in the hands of Portugal’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, with all 58 suspects expected to face charges related to aiding illegal immigration, document fraud, and criminal association.
The PJ has not ruled out additional arrests, as investigators continue to analyse seized documents and digital evidence collected during the raids.
What countries did these men come from and why are only the women being cited?