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Viewing cable 08ASMARA204, FRAUD SUMMARY - ASMARA

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08ASMARA204 2008-04-09 14:36 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Asmara
VZCZCXRO7582
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHAE #0204/01 1001436
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 091436Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9593
RUEHPNH/NVC PORTSMOUTH NH 0310
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0140
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0438
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 1425
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 1290
RUEHGA/AMCONSUL CALGARY 0017
RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 0037
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0099
RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT 1323
RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN 0029
RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES 0010
RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO 0009
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 ASMARA 000204 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/CA, AF/E, CA/FPP, CA/EX 
 
DEPT PASS TO INL/HSTC 
 
DEPT PASS TO KCC WILLIAMSBURG KY 
 
POSTS FOR FRAUD PREVENTION MANAGERS 
 
FRANKFURT FOR RCO 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: CVIS KFRD CPAS CMGT ASEC ER
SUBJECT:  FRAUD SUMMARY - ASMARA 
 
REFS:  A. 07 ASMARA 000967, 
 
       B. 07 ASMARA 000815, 
       C. 07 STATE 171211 
 
ASMARA 00000204  001.2 OF 006 
 
 
1.  The following is a summary of fraud conditions experienced during 
the January to March 2008 period.  Point of contact is Conoff Brian 
Shelbourn, shelbournbl@state.gov, 291-1-12-00-04. 
 
---------------------------- 
2.  (SBU) COUNTRY CONDITIONS 
---------------------------- 
 
The Government of the State of Eritrea's (GSE) economic policies 
continue to cause scarcity of goods and impoverishment of the 
people.  Employment prospects are virtually non-existent.  Of those 
employed, many work as draftees in the Eritrean national service 
which provides wages barely a step above slave labor, approximately 
$30 and $40 per month.  Commodities such as cooking gas, diesel 
fuel, sugar, and lentils are strictly rationed and are sometimes 
unavailable due to restrictions on imports and the government's 
holding of hard currency.  In 2007 Eritrea's inflation rate was 
25.6% and per capita GDP was only $220.  The GSE continues to press 
large numbers of citizens into long, undefined periods of military 
service.  Disenchantment continues to build, especially among the 
young.  This has led to a massive illegal exodus across the borders 
of Sudan and Ethiopia, with as many as 2,000 leaving Eritrea 
illegally each month. 
 
Mandatory national service begins at the age of 17 for both boys and 
girls, and includes intensive military training.  For males, while 
the official end date is the age of 40, in practice there is no end 
date to the term of national service; in some cases, individuals 
have been working in the national service for over 13 years. 
Because of this, many parents seek any avenue to get their children 
out of the country prior to be conscripted, even at the risk of 
their own arrest.  Those unable to obtain permission to leave 
Eritrea often illegally flee across the border to either Sudan or 
Ethiopia to escape the harsh conditions.  Many people with passports 
leave legally and do not return.  The desperation to leave Eritrea 
is felt at all levels of society. 
 
The consular section in Asmara has been closed to most visa services 
since January 2007, but has continued limited issuances for extreme 
humanitarian cases and those clearly in USG interests.  The section 
provides document intake services for Immigrant and Diversity visas, 
transfers cases to other posts upon request, and provides document 
verification services to other U.S. Embassies which process Eritrean 
applicants.  Post anticipates remaining closed for visa services for 
the immediate future, but continues to provide the full array of 
American Citizen Services. 
 
Asmara is considered a medium fraud post, with potential to become 
high as profit-motivated fraud rings learn to take advantage of a 
population desperate to escape the GSE's oppressive policies. 
 
------------------- 
3.  (SBU) NIV FRAUD 
------------------- 
 
Post is not currently issuing NIVs in significant numbers and has 
not experienced fraud during the reporting period.  Asmara has 
traditionally been considered to be a medium fraud post for NIVs. 
 
Student visas - The University of Asmara provides reliable student 
record verification.  Posts interviewing Eritrean students should be 
aware that the University graduated its final class in 2007 and is 
no longer operating.  Eritrea currently has no accredited tertiary 
schools.  Post's F-1 validation study for 2006 issuances showed 90% 
 
ASMARA 00000204  002.2 OF 006 
 
 
of students continuing their University studies beyond the first 
year.  Nearly all student visas issued in Asmara in 2006 were for 
students to larger, well-known institutions and/or for graduate 
students. 
 
B1/B2 visas - Post completed 2005 and 2006 validation studies during 
the reporting period.  The study demonstrated that applicants over 
50 years old remain the group least likely to overstay, although 35% 
to 50% did not return.  Many of these recipients had children in the 
U.S. and adjusted status while visiting, rather than go through the 
petition process.  Very few visas were issued to applicants aged 20 
to 40, but those applicants that were issued were likely to 
overstay. 
 
R visas - Post's validation studies for 2005 and 2006 indicated a 
100% overstay for all R visas issued. 
 
----------------- 
4. (SBU) IV FRAUD 
----------------- 
 
Post is not currently issuing IVs in significant numbers and has not 
experienced fraud during the reporting period.  Asmara has 
traditionally been considered to be a medium fraud post for IVs. 
 
Marriage fraud has always been a concern of the consular section due 
to the number of arranged marriages.  The fraud seen in Eritrea is 
typical of many other countries, except that it is neither highly 
organized nor sophisticated.  It tends to be fairly easy to detect, 
in that the Amcit in the relationship typically leaves Eritrea 
immediately after the marriage to file the petition and then 
maintains little or no contact until documentation is requested. 
Also, all marriages in Eritrea are grand affairs, with even 
impoverished families having elaborate ceremonies recorded on video. 
 Any marriage not performed with an elaborate religious service or 
not having video documentation is highly suspect. 
 
Post completed adjudication of two cases of petitioners attempting 
to obtain IR2 visas for nieces or nephews.  The fraudulent 
applications were discovered through the use of DNA testing. 
 
------------------ 
5.  (SBU) DV FRAUD 
------------------ 
 
Post is not currently issuing DVs in significant numbers and has not 
experienced fraud during the reporting period.  Asmara has 
traditionally been considered to be a medium fraud post for DVs. 
 
-------------------------------- 
6.  (SBU) ACS AND PASSPORT FRAUD 
-------------------------------- 
 
Post has experienced no cases of ACS or passport fraud during the 
reporting period. Asmara has traditionally been considered to be a 
low fraud post for ACS and passports. 
 
Conoff remains vigilant in identifying increased passport/CRBA fraud 
indicators, is surprised at the lack of fraud indicators in this 
area, and expects to see an increase in the future.  Eritrea's 
resident Amcit community is small and mostly static.  The majority 
of passport renewals are for individuals known by consular staff. 
For those applicants not known by the staff, a direct comparison of 
the applicant, the current passport picture, and PIERS information 
is performed to ensure identity.  For CRBA applicants of recently 
born babies, the mother's hospital stay certificate is routinely 
requested and verified with the hospital as needed. 
 
 
ASMARA 00000204  003.2 OF 006 
 
 
Post is concerned about the number of CRBA applications for older 
children.  For out of wedlock births or for recently issued birth 
certificates for older children, Conoff routinely recommends DNA 
testing.  To date, no negative tests or abandoned cases have been 
discovered. 
 
------------------------ 
7.  (SBU) ADOPTION FRAUD 
------------------------ 
 
Post is not currently processing adoption cases in significant 
numbers and has not experienced fraud during the reporting period. 
 
Like other types of fraud, adoption fraud is neither organized nor 
sophisticated but it is becoming more prevalent.  The most common 
form of fraud is the classification of a child as an orphan while 
the birth parents are still alive and able to support the child. 
The usual reasons for adoption fraud are to improve the economic 
condition of the child by having them live with a U.S. relative or 
to avoid national service.  Eritrean adoptions are usually only 
given to family members and are easy for them to obtain.  The 
Eritrean adoption is then used as the basis for a U.S. adoption 
case. 
 
Although adoptions are reviewed by either the High Court or the 
Ministry of Labor and Human Welfare, the corrupt legal system in 
Eritrea provides fraud opportunities for those with high government 
connections.  Post notes a recent case where an adopting Amcit 
claimed she discovered after the adoption that the parents of the 
children she adopted were living high-ranking GSE officials.  Post 
is unable to confirm the allegation. 
 
--------------------- 
8.  (SBU) DNA TESTING 
--------------------- 
 
Post uses DNA testing primarily for out-of-wedlock births and for 
first-time citizenship applications for older children, but notes no 
negative results.  There are also many instances of aunts/uncles 
petitioning a niece/nephew as an IR2 to provide better economic 
opportunity or to avoid the harsh conditions of mandatory military 
service.  Post will continue to liberally recommend DNA testing for 
IR2 applications if/when the visa section reopens, and advises posts 
processing Eritrean IVs to consider doing the same. 
 
Post notes Eritrean family and social structures are conducive to 
obtaining reliable DNA results.  Family relationships tend to be 
well-defined and along American norms, and there is no influx of 
refugees or migrants.  Eritrea has some isolated ethnic groups, such 
as the Nara, with which the consular section has little or no 
interaction. 
 
---------------------- 
9.  (SBU) ASYLUM FRAUD 
---------------------- 
 
Post is not currently issuing Visas 92/93 in significant numbers and 
has not experienced fraud during the reporting period. 
 
-------------------------- 
10.  (SBU) ALIEN SMUGGLING 
-------------------------- 
 
Eritrea is a source country for illegal travelers, but not as an 
organized system designed to facilitate travel to the U.S.  Eritrean 
men under 40 and unmarried women under 27 generally cannot obtain 
passports, but the specific rules are opaque and change frequently 
and without notice.  Men under 54 and women under 47, even those 
 
ASMARA 00000204  004.2 OF 006 
 
 
with passports, are routinely denied exit visas.  2,000 Eritreans 
illegally cross the Sudanese and Ethiopian borders each month. 
Smugglers charge between $1,000 and $7,000 for the service.  The 
smugglers are reportedly Eritrean military, police, or national 
security officers, but there are also reports of Rashaida (a 
trans-national ethnic group known to be traders) involvement.  There 
are neither reports nor indications of local fraud rings dedicated 
to facilitating illegal travel to the U.S. 
 
Approximately 4,800 Somali refugees reside near Massawa.  A UNHCR 
representative noted that an undefined number of Somalis in the camp 
have "moved on" to other countries. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
11.  (SBU) DS CRIMINAL FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS 
------------------------------------------- 
 
Conoff and RSO have had reduced opportunities to collaborate on 
fraud investigations due to the closure of the visa section, but ACS 
case hits are immediately shared and discussed.  RSO responds to 
consular requests expeditiously.  Both RSO and Conoff look forward 
to increased cooperation on investigations when the visa section 
eventually reopens. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
12.  (SUB) HOST COUNTRY PASSPORTS, 
IDENTITY DOCUMENTS, AND CIVIL REGISTRY 
-------------------------------------- 
 
The Eritrean passport has no identifiable security features.  Bio 
data is hand-written, photographs are physically placed, and the 
lamination is of extremely poor quality.  In addition, an Eritrean 
passport is not proof of nationality.  Reports circulate of Somali, 
Sudanese, and other non-Eritreans traveling on Eritrean tourist and 
diplomatic passports.  The Eritrean national ID card is the only 
document proving nationality, but it too is hand written (only in 
Tigrinya and Arabic, not English), poorly laminated, and easily 
altered.  Conoff noted a recently issued diplomatic passport with 
the bio information on an internal page, rather than the front 
cover, a small but welcome improvement.  The GSE has given no 
indication of further improvements to its passport and has rebuffed 
requests from Conoff to discuss the matter. 
 
A recently issued Eritrean passport in Khartoum may be a sign that 
the applicant has left Eritrea illegally.  The GSE freely issues 
passports to Eritrean nationals living abroad, even if they depart 
illegally.  Post speculates the government facilitates these 
passports in hopes that the departed will remit hard currency after 
settlement in wealthier countries. 
 
Posts using completion of Eritrean National Service as a sign of 
ties to Eritrea should be aware of reliable reports that a source in 
Dubai is supplying false national service completion certificates. 
Conoff has yet to examine a false certificate, but official 
certificates have no known security features and are easily forged. 
The GSE will not provide verification of completion of 
military/national service. 
 
 
Conoff received information during the reporting period that 
"official" birth and marriage certificates are available for sale 
for 5,000 Nakfa ($333.33) from the Asmara (and presumably other) 
municipalities.  The GSE recently pushed responsibility for ensuring 
the accuracy of applicant information down to the neighborhood level 
official in an effort to improve accuracy and accountability. 
Instead, the move created profit-making opportunities.  Information 
contained on official birth and marriage certificates can be 
completely altered, per the request of the payer.  On a positive 
 
ASMARA 00000204  005.2 OF 006 
 
 
note, the Asmara municipality has recently computerized these 
records and is assigning a unique identification number to each 
person.  This system will eventually roll-out to all towns and 
villages in Eritrea, and shows some indication of GSE willingness to 
combat fraud. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
13.  (SBU) COOPERATION WITH HOST GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
Post continues to receive no cooperation on consular issues from the 
host government, other than routine document verification.  However, 
because even legitimately issued governmental documents are suspect, 
this cooperation is of limited use.  School records tend to be very 
well kept and there is a history of cooperation with local schools 
regarding verifying these documents.  Post had a 2006 case of 
suspected fraud in which the school verifiers seemed reluctant to 
provide negative information due to the stature of the individual's 
family.  Post anticipates that if we were to identify organized 
fraud rings that the local authorities would take an interest, but 
to date, post has seen no evidence indicating the existence of this 
type of organized smuggling in-country. 
 
Conoff is attempting to secure an agreement for a DHS trainer to 
instruct GSE immigration officers and airline staff members on U.S. 
travel documents.  GSE immigration officials have recently been 
reluctant to meet with Emboffs, but six months ago the Director of 
Immigration at Asmara International Airport expressed interest in 
such training, which Conoff will continue to pursue. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
14.  (SBU) AREAS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN 
-------------------------------------- 
 
The increasing desperation of Eritreans resulting in increasing 
attempts to leave the country by any means available has not led to 
an increase in fraud indicators, as would be reasonably expected. 
Post remains vigilant in looking for fraud indicators, especially 
for new passport and CRBA applications, and assumes that an increase 
in fraudulent applications is highly likely given the current 
political and economic situation in Eritrea. 
 
A large number of NIV applicants are expected when the consular 
section reopens for visa services.  The usual walk-in application 
process will not be able to accommodate the volume.  At such time 
that post reopens for visa services, Post plans to employ the online 
NIV appointment system and an active public diplomacy program to 
avoid the common problems with queuing in areas outside of Embassy 
control. 
 
The Harris technicians who maintain consular computer systems did 
not receive visas from the GSE and were not able to make their 
scheduled visit in June 2007.  The technicians have pending visa 
applications for the last week of April 2008, but have yet to be 
issued. Although the section can function in the 
short-to-intermediate term with local technicians, if this situation 
is not addressed in the long run, the consular section could be 
forced to shut down completely in the event of a catastrophic 
failure of the computer systems. 
 
-------------------------------- 
15.  (SBU) STAFFING AND TRAINING 
-------------------------------- 
 
The section remains short staffed during our closure and will remain 
so until the section fully opens for visa services.  Training 
options are currently limited to those available inside Eritrea. 
The Harris technicians may provide needed systems training if they 
 
ASMARA 00000204  006.2 OF 006 
 
 
receive visas.  The Mission restrictions on off-shore training, 
currently in place due to the number of LES not returning from 
training in the U.S., currently limits our staff to on-line courses 
and on-the-job learning opportunities. 
MCINTYRE