According to a National Police press release the migrants were in the country illegally at the time the municipal register (Padrón) procedures were being carried out and the aim of the scheme was to regularise their status in the country.

The investigation, carried out by officers from the local immigration unit at Ronda police station, was launched following a tip-off from the provincial immigration and borders unit at Cordoba police station, after it was discovered that Moroccan nationals were providing the same registered address in their documentation applications, with the identical address – located in Ronda – in every single case.

Initial suspicions regarding possible fraud led the officers to analysed the documentation obtained from the Padrón and also conduct discreet enquiries in the vicinity of the property, speaking to neighbours, among other measures.

Following the investigation, it was established that the foreign nationals listed as registered at the property had not actually lived there and had never resided at the address in question. The enquiries indicated that proof of registration would be provided at a later stage, along with other requirements, when applying for a residence permit.

The current Immigration Act provides, among other things, a serious offence for any person, whether owner or tenant of a property, who has authorised or consented to the registration of a person at their address when that is not their actual place of residence.

This may constitute "registration in breach of the law", which, following an administrative investigation, carries a financial penalty ranging from 501 to 10,000 euros for each person not registered correctly, provided that the facts do not constitute a criminal offence.

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