VZCZCXRO1911
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHAE #0346/01 1901410
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081410Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9772
RUEHPNH/NVC PORTSMOUTH NH 0316
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0146
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0447
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 1434
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 1301
RUEHGA/AMCONSUL CALGARY 0023
RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 0043
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0105
RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT 1333
RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN 0035
RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES 0016
RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO 0015

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ASMARA 000346 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/CA, AF/E, CA/FPP, CA/EX 
PASS TO INL/HSTC 
POSTS FOR FRAUD PREVENTION MANAGERS 
FRANKFURT FOR RCO 
DEPT PASS TO KCC WILLIAMSBURG KY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CVIS KFRD CPAS CMGT ASEC ER
SUBJECT:  FRAUD SUMMARY - ASMARA 
 
REF:  A. Asmara 204 B. 07 Asmara 967 C. 07 STATE 171211 
 
ASMARA 00000346  001.2 OF 005 
 
 
¶1. The following is a summary of fraud conditions experienced during 
the April to June 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.  Basic commodities such as diesel fuel and 
flour are strictly rationed and are sometimes unavailable due to 
restrictions on imports and the government's monopoly on possessing 
hard currency.  Propane, the basic cooking fuel, has been 
sporadically available for months, leading to the use of also scarce 
kerosene and charcoal for heating food.  President Isaias Afwerki 
recently stated that white bread and pasta are "luxuries."  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 officially published age cutoff is 40, in practice the term of 
national service currently extends up to 54.  National service, 
while supposedly of a set duration, currently has no end date and 
many individuals have been forced to work in national service for 
over 13 years.  Because of this, many parents seek any avenue to get 
their children out of the country prior to being conscripted, even 
at the risk of their own arrests.  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. 
 
----------------- 
¶4. (SBU) IV FRAUD 
 
ASMARA 00000346  002.2 OF 005 
 
 
----------------- 
 
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. 
 
------------------ 
¶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 passport fraud during the reporting 
period. Asmara has traditionally been considered to be a low fraud 
post for ACS and passports. 
 
Post notes a doubling of CRBA and passport applications during the 
reporting period compared to the same period in 2007.  Conoff's 
inquiries indicate the awareness level of the Diaspora regarding 
consular services has increased, as well as the desire for 
non-resident fathers to have their Amcit children's U.S. passport 
in-hand should the economic or military situation in Eritrea 
deteriorate. 
 
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. 
 
------------------------ 
¶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 
 
ASMARA 00000346  003.2 OF 005 
 
 
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, and 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 cosular 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 
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 
 
ASMARA 00000346  004.2 OF 005 
 
 
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.  The GSE provided no indication of 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. 
 
Post recently received evidence that the GSE provides a certificate 
to Eritrean asylees living overseas to allow them entry/exit without 
an Eritrean entrance stamp being placed in their passport.  The 
certificate is written only in Tigrinya, is stamped for entrance and 
exit, and provides proof of the individual's payment of the 2% 
Diaspora income tax.  The GSE's desperate lack of hard currency is 
the government's likely reason for facilitating such travel.  Post 
will report more information on regarding asylee travel to Eritrea 
septel. 
 
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 
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 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. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
¶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 
 
ASMARA 00000346  005.2 OF 005 
 
 
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.  Prior to 
reopening 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 unable to make their 
scheduled visits in either June 2007 or April 2008. 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 
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 online courses 
and on-the-job learning opportunities. 
MCINTYRE