A man who masqueraded as the father of Albanian infants in a scheme to assist with immigration has been sentenced to prison.
Gerald Cera, 28, originally from Albania but a citizen of the United Kingdom, was identified as the father of eight children between September 2022 and August 2024, as part of a conspiracy aimed at securing UK passports for them.
At St Albans Crown Court, he received a six-year prison term after being convicted of conspiring to facilitate unlawful immigration into the UK.
The Home Office has stripped him of his UK citizenship, along with the passports of the children whose applications he supported.
Cera, a resident of Circular Road in Tottenham, London, was apprehended at Luton Airport on February 16, 2025.
Additionally, he faced charges for failing to comply with a police request after he refused to provide access to his phone and laptop passcodes when arrested.
An investigation revealed that he was involved in a scheme to acquire UK passports for infants.
He had submitted his UK passport and naturalization certificate as part of his application to be recognized as the father of eight Albanian infants.
Cera was associated with another individual who recently confessed to fraudulently claiming fatherhood for 13 Albanian children on separate UK passport applications.
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutors stated that they had to emphasize contradictions in Cera’s testimony to the jury, as they could only obtain a DNA sample for one of the infants, which proved he was not the biological father.
Roma Karampatsi, a senior crown prosecutor for CPS Thames and Chiltern, remarked: “Cera’s statements have been plagued by inconsistencies throughout the investigation and trial.”
“By fraudulently pursuing UK citizenship for individuals without the right to it, Cera has compromised our immigration framework and the integrity of those who wish to enter through lawful channels.”
MP Alex Norris, the minister for border security and asylum, stated: “We will not allow criminal organizations to exploit our immigration system by taking advantage of children for financial gain.”
