Ministerie van Justitie, Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst

The authorities in The Hague are stepping up the measures being taken to combat identity and document fraud committed by foreign nationals. The police, the Public Prosecutor, the municipality and the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) will work in closer collaboration in order to achieve this. 
On the morning of Monday 28 April 2008, the services signed a collaboration agreement that should result in the improved detection and prosecution of these types of fraud. This is the first pilot project of its kind in this field and it will last for two years.

One team
It is intended that the services involved will work in close collaboration as part of a single team. They must exchange as much information as possible with each other. The aim of the services involved is to use this method as a means to remove any weak points from their collaboration. The municipality and the IND promise to immediately pass on any suspicions of fraud to the police, who will then initiate a preliminary criminal investigation if possible. As soon as sufficient evidence is available, the Public Prosecutor will then bring the case before the courts.

Look-a-likes
'From the initial contact onwards, we are able to pick up on signs that something is wrong', says director Peter Veld of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) - where foreign nationals must report to the first time. 'Our aim is to investigate every relevant suspicion.' The IND has reason to believe that identity fraud is taking place, for example, by look-a-likes who use documents that belong to other people. If the pilot project in The Hague is a success, this method of working will be implemented nationwide. The IND has nine desks throughout the Netherlands at which foreign nationals can apply for a residence permit. These desks have taken over this task from the municipalities.