After months of investigations, the criminal police apprehended 6 men and women, most of whom have confessed. They are Iranian citizens and Austrians of Iranian descent. According to the police, the mastermind is a 36-year-old woman who was found with around 30,000 euros in cash or savings books - she was taken into custody. All of them live in the Tirol.
Since 2011 the organisation illegally smuggled at least 60 Iranian citizens to Austria and helped them get a [favourable] asylum judgement using an “ingenious method”, according to Christoph Hundertpfund, deputy director of the regional crime office. A sudden conversion to Christianity enabled the smuggled Iranians to secure permanent legal residence in Austria.
According to the criminal police, the smugglers ring organised “courses in the Catholic faith”. These courses are offered by the Church, culminating with baptism. So, for example, on Easter Eve 2013 alone, between 30 and 40 people converted to Catholicism from Islam via baptism. Iran imposes the death penalty for defection from Islam and conversion to another religion. Religious persecution is a ground for claiming asylum.
The course allowed the smuggled people to acquire enough knowledge to make their new religious affiliation credible when examined by the authorities, according to Hundertpfund. In all cases asylum was sought because of religious persecution. In many cases either a positive decision was issued or the procedure has still not concluded.