FACT CHECK: Old images of Syrian refugees passed off as migrants en route to New Zealand
Netizens are sharing three images on social media. They claim the pictures show Syrian refugees traveling to New Zealand.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 8 July 2021 4:55 AM GMT
HYDERABAD: Netizens are sharing three images on social media. They claim the pictures show Syrian refugees traveling to New Zealand.
"The distance from Syria to New Zealand is 16,115 kilometers, there is a very big ocean in the middle...!!* Without any aircraft or sailing, walking is impossible. Yet, all these Muslims who call themselves war victims, helpless and completely poor refugees, go six and a half times far away to New Zealand," reads the English translation of the message
Click here to view the post.
FACT CHECK:
The claim is false. These images are not linked to Syrian refugees.
Image 1: Image of a large crowd walking.
This image was taken in 2015 when migrants were escorted through fields by police as they walked from Rigonce to Brezice refugee camp in Rigonce, Slovenia. It was published by Getty Images, a photo agency. It states that thousands marched across the border between Croatia and Slovenia as authorities intensified their efforts to cope with Europe's largest migration since World War II.
Image 2: Image with a girl in a pink dress
This image was taken at the border of Greece and Macedonia by AFP photographer Robert Atanasovski. This incident took place in October 2015 when migrants and refugees queued up to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija. People were seeking asylum and entering the country every day.
Image 3: Image of a smaller crowd walking.
This image was taken in October 2015 when migrants were making their way after crossing the border at Zakany, Hungary. Its caption reads: "Migrants make their way after crossing the border at Zakany, Hungary October 16, 2015."
https://pictures.reuters.com/
This clearly shows that these images are not linked to Syrian refugees traveling to New Zealand to seek protection. Thus, the claim is false.
