Chinese nationals accused of posing as descendants of Nazi victims to obtain German citizenship

German prosecutors are investigating 32 people accused of posing as descendants of Jews persecuted by the Nazis to obtain German citizenship, Der Spiegel reported. Many of those under investigation are reportedly Chinese nationals.

The alleged fraud involved submitting falsified documents and biographical information to the Federal Office of Administration in Cologne. The applicants relied on Article 116(2) of Germany’s Basic Law, which provides for the restoration of citizenship to former German citizens stripped of it between January 30, 1933, and May 8, 1945, for political, racial or religious reasons, as well as to their descendants.

Der Spiegel described the case of Chinese national Liu H., who is reportedly the subject of an international manhunt over suspected kidnapping and murder. The magazine said Liu created new biographies, invented names and traveled under false identities. In 2024, he allegedly obtained German nationality and a passport under the name Derrick Wong.

Liu reportedly claimed that he was the grandson of Karl Siegfried and Gertraud Suesskind, who fled Germany for what was then British Mandatory Palestine. The report said he was not their descendant. Another Chinese national, Tian C., who lives in London, allegedly obtained a German passport by making the same claim.

The Düsseldorf public prosecutor’s office and Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office, known as the BKA, have reportedly worked on the case for about a year. Around 30 Chinese nationals are under investigation, according to Der Spiegel, and some are accused of serious crimes or are wanted internationally.

German citizenship cannot easily be revoked, and unlawful naturalization can be withdrawn only within 10 years. The suspects reportedly live in Cyprus, Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States, making it difficult for German investigators to bring them in for questioning.