Pay €25,000 for Schengen visa: Indian company BLS under probe after Spain’s Algerian migration crisis

Spanish investigators are examining whether visa appointment and document-processing companies helped a network prioritise applicants who paid bribes.

Indian company BLS International has been drawn into a Spanish National Court investigation with links to alleged visa fraud network at Spain’s consulate in Algiers.The probe, led by Judge María Tardón, was expanded to examine the role of companies handling visa appointments and document processing, including BLS, which is contracted by Spain’s Foreign Ministry, as reporte dby Spanish news outlet The Objective.The investigation began following “official communications” from the Spanish Embassy in Algeria, which alerted authorities to a network allegedly “profiting through the fraudulent issuance of Schengen visas”. Judicial sources said the network allegedly charged applicants up to €25,000 per family to secure visas and residence or work permits, including for people who did not meet the formal requirements.The case initially led to the arrests of consulate chancellor Vicente Moreno and local employee Mohamed Boutouchent in April. Moreno’s wife was also placed under investigation.Investigators allege Spanish officials and Algerian staff worked with outside companies involved in appointment scheduling and document management to prioritise applicants who paid bribes. The alleged network is accused of using unverified, altered or falsified documents to facilitate migration to Spain and, in some cases, secure residency in Spain or France.The judge is investigating five reported offences: money laundering, crimes against the rights of foreign citizens, repeated document falsification by a public official, influence peddling and membership in a criminal organisation. Investigators also claim that cash bribes were later laundered in Spain, including through vehicle purchases.

Why BLS is under scrutiny

The court has specifically referred to “processing platforms like BLS” as part of its investigation into collaborating companies. BLS was awarded a €175 million Spanish Foreign Ministry contract in 2016 to manage visa appointments and document processing at certain consulates. The company had taken over work previously handled by another Indian firm, VFS Global.The investigation is also examining whether such service providers helped create or process applications for applicants who paid the alleged bribes, while legitimate applicants were denied or bypassed.