In Dortmund, seven men have acknowledged paternity for a total of 122 children—despite not being their biological fathers. This recognition grants foreign mothers the right to reside in Germany, while the men often receive financial compensation and the state covers child support costs. Investigations are ongoing in several cases.
The incentive for this practice lies in the current legal framework, Apollo News explains: when a German citizen acknowledges paternity of a child born to a foreign mother, the child automatically gains German citizenship, which in turn grants the mother a residence permit. Authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia report that men often receive thousands of euros for such acknowledgments, while they typically do not pay maintenance—costs that are instead covered by the state.
This loophole exists because, since the 1997 reform of children’s rights, paternity can be recognised without judicial review, even before the child’s birth.
Authorities say entire networks are exploiting the regulation. The Arnsberg government district, of which Dortmund is part, has become one of the hotspots of a phenomenon of fraudulent paternity recognition. Women are reportedly recruited in West Africa, brought to Europe, and often forced into prostitution. Once a woman becomes pregnant, she travels to Germany, where a man living there declares paternity before the authorities.
The German government now plans to require prior approval from immigration authorities for any paternity recognition in cases where residence permits are involved. This would shift verification to the start of the process. A draft law to this effect was first published in April 2024, but the Federal Ministry of the Interior has since announced that it will submit a new proposal.
