FACT CHECK: Did The New York Post Publish This Article About The United Nations?

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows a New York Post story with a headline that reads, “UN warns of massive refugee movement from Africa: ‘500 million people on their way to Europe.'”

Verdict: False

There is no evidence the New York Post published such an article or that an influx of 500 million refugees is heading to Europe.

Fact Check: 

The U.N. is warning that refugees from Africa’s Sahel region could move north into Europe to escape violence and food shortages in the area, according to ABC News. An image shared on Facebook claims the organization estimates some 500 million refugees are already on the move.

The image shows a purported March 15 New York Post article with a headline that reads, “UN warns of massive refugee movement from Africa: ‘500 million people on their way to Europe.'” The purported story features an image of inflatable boats packed with what appear to be refugees wearing life vests.

“Unless something is done to stop this flow into the UK, there will be civil unrest,” the post’s caption claims, adding the country does not have “the housing, jobs or spare funds” to support the refugees.

The image is digitally fabricated. No such article appears on the New York Post’s website. There is likewise no mention of 500 million refugees heading to Europe on the U.N. website. Check Your Fact found no credible news about the massive amount of migrants allegedly heading to Europe.

The New York Post confirmed to Reuters that it did not publish any article with that title. (RELATED: Did The New York Post Share A Satellite Image Of Russian Soldiers In A ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ Formation?)

This is not the first time fake New York Post articles have spread online. Check Your Fact previously debunked a claim from May 2021 suggesting the outlet ran a headline in 1987 that referred to White House coronavirus adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci as “The Man Who Gave Us AIDS.”

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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