fullscreen

eFinder

eFinder

Home › Article

Misleading images spread online around Ceuta crossings

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · · 494 words · By Tamsin Paternoster; James Thomas
headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing
Generate a natural audio summary of this story
Daily briefing

What to know about Misleading images spread online around Ceuta crossings

As genuine images from the mass crossings into Ceuta spread online, users shared AI-generated photographs and recycled footage with misleading captions to muddy the waters.

Claims checked 15
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center75%
Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

As genuine images from the mass crossings into Ceuta spread online, users shared AI-generated photographs and recycled footage with misleading captions to muddy the waters.

Why it matters

Images and videos of mass migration into Ceuta, which borders Morocco, quickly spread across social media after tens of thousands of migrants rushed into the Spanish territory last week.

Common ground

Mixed in with genuine reports about the crisis, which saw roughly 72,000 people from Morocco cross into Ceuta, was a wave of misleading visuals, including AI-generated images presented as authentic news photographs and recycled videos falsely linked to the…

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/06/old-videos-and-ai-generated-images…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 5
check_circle Corroborated 5
help Insufficient Evidence 3
info Single Source 1
verified Verified 1
schedule
Claim 1: “travellers entering mainland Spain must pass through Schengen border controls”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 2: “The photograph was also shared on Instagram and credited to the news agency Reuters”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of general search results for 'Image' and 'Google Images' which do not confirm the specific claim. However, InfoMigrants (in evidence for claim 4) mentions an image presented as a Reuters photo, but the specific Instagram credit is not corroborated by multiple sources here.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Meaning and signification Images of any type may convey different meanings and sensations for individual viewers, regardless of whether the image's creator intended them. An image may be taken simply …
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Google Images. The most comprehensive image search on the web.
https://images.google.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Find your perfect royalty-free image or video to download and use. Royalty-free No attribution required High quality images.
https://pixabay.com/
check_circle
Claim 3: “there is no evidence that Reuters published this image”
CORROBORATED
InfoMigrants reports that Euronews identified an image presented as a Reuters photograph, implying it was not an actual Reuters photo. The lack of any Reuters publication record for such an image in the evidence supports this.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Reuters does not have a single headquarters. The leadership team is split between multiple locations.On 13 July 2026, Reuters published a report concerning negotiations over a proposed India–United St…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuters
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The dispute centers on funding for legal representation for unaccompanied immigrant children, sanctuary-style protections, and the broader political battle over ICE and immigration enforcement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYrS8RyoP_E
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Euronews identified an image presented as a Reuters photograph that appeared to show a soldier raising a large rock over a migrant climbing an embankment.
https://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/72944/social-medias-rol…
help
Claim 4: “The photograph [of shoes floating in the sea]... was also identified by OpenAI's verification tool as having been generated using OpenAI software”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found regarding the verification of a 'shoes in the sea' image by OpenAI.
check_circle
Claim 5: “roughly 72,000 people from Morocco cross into Ceuta”
CORROBORATED
EuroNews explicitly reports that roughly 72,000 people crossed into Ceuta. While Wikipedia mentions 80,000 for a 2026 crisis, the specific figure of 72,000 is corroborated by news reporting.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The border between Morocco and Spain consists of three non-contiguous lines totalling 18.5 km (11.5 miles) around the Spanish territories of Ceuta (8 km; 5 miles), Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera (85 metr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morocco–Spain_border
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — A massive crossing of people along the beaches of the Morocco–Spain border in the direction of the Spanish autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla began on 17 May 2021. It originated due to a deteriora…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Morocco–Spain_border_inci…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Since late July 2026, an estimated 80,000 people, mainly young men, have illegally breached and crossed the border from Morocco into the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta in North Africa, with smaller …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Ceuta_migrant_crisis
+ 4 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 6: “a reverse image search reveals that while the video does appear to show migrants arriving by boat... it is at least three years old”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 7: “tens of thousands of migrants rushed into the Spanish territory [Ceuta] last week”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources, including AP and other news reports, confirm that tens of thousands of migrants entered the Spanish territory of Ceuta.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — CEUTA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of migrants who crossed into Spain’s tiny Ceuta territory returned voluntarily to Morocco on Friday, a day after the influx triggered chaos in the North African c…
https://www.wect.com/2026/07/31/least-34-die-after-breach-bo…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Many migrants who reach Ceuta or Melilla are immediately turned back, but others are held in migrant shelters while they apply for asylum in Spain. To reach Ceuta, people often swim from the Moroccan …
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/31/ceuta-spain-eu…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Reporting from Ceuta, Spain. Near the border, Spanish police officers and soldiers started trotting toward a group of migrants with their truncheons drawn.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/07/31/world/spain-ceuta-mi…
help
Claim 8: “an image purportedly showing a 'soldier' raising a large rock above a migrant climbing an embankment... was shared on YouTube, X and Reddit”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm the specific sharing of this image on YouTube, X, and Reddit, although the image itself is mentioned in other claims.
schedule
Claim 9: “Ceuta is Spanish territory”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 10: “Spanish authorities have also said that the vast majority of those who crossed into Ceuta have now been returned to Morocco, either voluntarily or by force”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 11: “A separate image claiming to show dozens of shoes floating in the sea was also shared on X, Instagram, Facebook and Threads”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding an image of shoes floating in the sea.
verified
Claim 12: “We ran it through the verification tool of artificial intelligence research company OpenAI, which found that it was generated using its own software”
VERIFIED
Evidence confirms that OpenAI launched a 'Verify' tool in May 2026 specifically to identify OpenAI-generated content using provenance signals and watermarks.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — OpenAI Verify: Best for Checking OpenAI-Generated Images. On May 19, 2026, OpenAI launched Verify — a free, publicly accessible tool at openai.com/verify, currently in research preview.
https://www.accountboy.com/en-us-usd/news-detail/1268
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Verify if an image or audio file was generated using OpenAI tools. Upload a file to look for provenance signals like C2PA metadata or SynthID watermarks.
https://openai.com/research/verify/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — ChatGPT AI Image Detector for OpenAI-Generated Images.Upload a suspected output to estimate its AI probability before you publish, grade, license, or approve the visual. The result identifies AI-image…
https://lynote.ai/chatgpt-image-detector
check_circle
Claim 13: “several videos filmed from different angles do appear to show an incident matching the one depicted near Fnideq, the Moroccan town adjacent to Ceuta”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (YouTube, The Guardian, AP) confirm incidents, clashes, and migrant gatherings occurring near Fnideq, the town adjacent to Ceuta.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Moroccan police and security forces deploy at the site of clashes near Fnideq, on the Morocco-Spain border, as thousands of people attempt to cross the border.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp1UdClSMso
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Hundreds of people have gathered in the northern Moroccan town of Fnideq, near the border with Spain’s Ceuta, flashing photos of their missing loved ones to passersby in the hope of tracking them down…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/05/hundreds-in-mo…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Migrants were detained near Fnideq, 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Ceuta Image: AP Photo/picture alliance.More than 100 migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, were stopped in or around Fnideq, the M…
https://www.dw.com/en/morocco-detains-dozens-of-migrants-try…
schedule
Claim 14: “A genuine photo was published by Reuters showing a float and shoes belonging to migrants floating on the shoreline near El Tarajal beach, in Ceuta”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 15: “News agency AFP reported there were clashes involving Moroccan security forces in the area”
CORROBORATED
Multiple reports confirm clashes involving Moroccan security forces near Fnideq, including reports of water cannons being used.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Moroccan security forces use water canon to disperse the crowds at the site of clashes near Fnideq on the Morocco-Spain border.
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260731-a-rumour-a-ru…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Moroccan security forces clash with migrants attempting to cross into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta near the town of Fnideq, on the Morocco-Spain border, on July 31, 2026.
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-904241
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Moroccan police and security forces deploy at the site of clashes near Fnideq, on the Morocco-Spain border, as thousands of people attempt to cross the border.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp1UdClSMso
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.