German taxpayers have already been burdened with tens of billions of euros annually due to immigration, but it seems that some migrants are now earning even more shocking sums. In North Rhine-Westphalia, a 23-year-old Syrian immigrant receives 13,000 euros a month for housing five underage migrants in his apartment. Unfortunately, this case is not unique and represents a new business model in Germany.

While a growing portion of the German population struggles in the face of the cost-of-living crisis, some migrants appear to thrive in prosperity. This year, over 100,000 illegal migrants have arrived at Germany’s borders, further increasing the expenses of an already overstretched system.

The situation is exacerbated by the fact that many young migrants falsely claim to be minors upon their arrival in Europe. Since 2015, there has been a notable increase in such migrants coming to Germany. Youth welfare offices are responsible for finding accommodations and work with independent support organisations, which then place these migrants with host families. Many of these families receive substantial payments for their services, while the organisations also collect hefty commissions for housing the migrants.

The case of Syrian national Osama H. has trigged massive social outcry. The 23-year-old has lived in Hagen since 2015 and, although he is officially a hairdresser – a profession typically associated with low income – he recently discovered that he could earn significant amounts by housing unaccompanied minors. He is currently housing five such migrants and receives up to 13,000 euros monthly from taxpayer funds.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. In other similar cases, foreigners have defrauded German taxpayers of millions by claiming to have foreign children who are not actually theirs. In one of the most severe cases, a man of Nigerian descent claimed 24 migrants as his dependents, resulting in an annual cost of 1.5 million euros to German taxpayers. While German politicians continue to advocate for open border policies, a growing number of German citizens feel their country is losing control over immigration.