Refugees

Did the man suspected of murdering a South African-born woman in Virginia come to the United States as a refugee in the spring of 2025? No, that's not true: The suspect is an American citizen, according to the victim's brother. He told Lead Stories that when married, the couple settled in the U.S. before Donald Trump's second presidency. The claim…

Does the German government publish a sexual education website that includes a cartoon panel saying "Most German men will be happy to have gay sex with immigrants"? No, that's not true: The phrase doesn't appear on the German sex education site. The version circulating on X.com is a doctored version of an infographic used in multiple countries. The panel appearing…

Did The Atlantic publish an op-ed saying that ending racism is worth a rise in sexual assaults by migrants? No, that's not true: As of this writing, the magazine's website did not show such an article. No other credible media outlet mentioned the purported story, and a supposed screenshot of it was a digital fabrication. A spokesperson for The Atlantic…

Does a genuine photo show protesters in London holding up signs that say "Rapists Welcome" and "Stand Up For Rapists"? No, that's not true: Digital forensics tools show the photo has been digitally altered. Photos showing similar, non-edited signs show "Refugees Welcome" and "Stand Up To Racism" slogans. The photo appeared in a post on X (archived here) where it…

Did the Welsh Refugee Council create a video involving schoolgirls to "entice migrant men to come to Wales"? No, that's not true: The group said, "We did not create or commission the video currently being circulated." The Welsh government explained that the video was made by a group of students to show their school as a welcoming place. The claim…

Is the United States "the only country" with birthright citizenship? No, that's not true: Dozens of countries, most of which are in the Western Hemisphere, have similar laws regarding birthright citizenship, according to the CIA World Factbook. The statement was made in a December 2024 interview with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, but he has said the same thing as far…

Did Canada ban President-elect Donald Trump from entering the country as of November 2024 because of his felony conviction? No, that's not true: A person is only declared inadmissible when they try to cross into the country, and no credible source reported that Trump tried to enter Canada before Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited him in Florida. Contrary to…

Was a man in the U.K. sentenced to 20 months in jail for a Facebook post "that opposes mass immigration"? No, that's not true: Posts on social media saying that omitted that the man was convicted for inciting violence at the time of anti-immigrant riots sweeping the country. He was convicted of "using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour…

Did the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees put a black band across its profile image on X to grieve the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar? No, that's not true: The band was on the image for months before Sinwar's death, according to archived pages of the account and to the agency. An agency spokesperson told…

Does a viral video capture "Bosnian neighbors" roasting a dog in their backyard in the U.S.? No, that's not true: A Cornell University professor of veterinary medicine told Lead Stories that what is seen in the years-old footage does not show dog or even carnivore anatomy, speculating it could be a lamb or a goat. The video recycled an old…