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No, 20 million Nigerians not ‘headed to South Africa’ after ‘secret meeting’

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Kliek hier om hierdie verslag in Afrikaans te lees.

According to journalism training institute Poynter, stories on immigration are among the most fact-checked in the world. As an example, Poynter says, one in three stories reported to Spanish fact-checking site Maldito Bulo relates to immigration.

The UN migration agency’s 2018 World Migration Report says there were 244 million migrants in the world in 2015, making up 3.3% of the global population.

The report says there has been “considerable rise in migration in certain parts of the world over the past few years”. It also points out that “barely a day goes by without multiple media reports – whether in traditional or newer forms of media – focusing on aspects of migration, frequently on negative aspects”.

Ramaphosa, Trudeau and Buhari in ‘secret summit’


In April 2019 the Pro-Afrikaans Action Group, a South African organisation known as Praag, published a story in Afrikaans headlined Twintig miljoen Nigeriese immigrante op pad na Suid-Afrika – “20 million Nigerian immigrants on their way to South Africa”. (Read Google’s English translation of the article.)

It claims the migrants will arrive “within the next five years” following a “secret summit” between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria.

The story was posted on Facebook, where a user flagged it as potentially false.

‘It is disinformation’


“There is no grain of truth in this: it is disinformation,” said David Hlabane, media manager for South Africa’s department of home affairs.

On 13 May 2019 Africa Check debunked a similar hoax from Facebook that claimed Trudeau  had “begged” Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to allow a million Kenyans to emigrate to Canada.

Another claim, that Trudeau had also “begged” for a million Nigerian immigrants, was published by CBTV in April 2019.

AFP Fact Check rated the claim as false. And Canada’s embassy in Nigeria tweeted: “If you've seen this link on your social media timeline, don't fall for it. This story is not true. For REAL information about travelling to Canada, go to www.cic.gc.ca.”

The claim of “millions” of migrants may have its origins in a 2018 announcement by the Canadian government indicating that they wanted to add a million permanent citizens over the next three years. – Africa Check (28/05/19)
 
 

‘20 miljoen Nigeriese immigrante’ nié op pad Suid-Afrika toe na ‘geheime vergadering’


Volgens die joernalistieke opleidingsinstituut Poynter word feite oor immigrasie-stories wêreldwyd die meeste nagegaan. Poynter byvoorbeeld dat een uit elke drie stories wat aan die Spaanse feite-kontrole-webwerf Maldito Bulo gerapporteer word, met immigrasie te doen het.

Die VN migrasie-agentskap se Wêreldmigrasieverslag vir 2018 sê dat daar in 2015 244 miljoen migrante ter wêreld was, wat 3.3% van die wêreldbevolking uitgemaak het.

Die verslag sê dat daar “oor die afgelope paar jaar ʼn aansienlike toename in migrasie in sekere dele van die wêreld was”. Hulle meld ook dat daar “skaars ʼn dag verbygaan sonder veelvuldige mediaberigte – of dit nou tradisionele of nuwer vorme van die media is – wat fokus op aspekte van migrasie, en dikwels op die negatiewe aspekte daarvan”.

Ramaphosa, Trudeau en Buhari in ‘geheime beraad’


In April 2019 het die Pro-Afrikaans Action Group, ʼn Suid-Afrikaanse organisasie bekend as Praag, ʼn berig in Afrikaans gepubliseer met die opskrif Twintig miljoen Nigeriese immigrante op pad na Suid-Afrika.

Dit beweer dat die immigrante “binne die volgende vyf jaar” hier gaan aankom ná ʼn “geheime beraad” tussen Suid-Afrika se President Cyril Ramaphosa, die Kanadese eerste minister Justin Trudeau en President Muhammadu Buhari van Nigerië.

Die storie is op Facebook geplaas, waar iemand dit as moontlik vals aangemeld het.

‘Dit is vals inligting’


“Daar steek geen greintjie waarheid daarin nie: dit is vals inligting,” het David Hlabane, mediabestuurder vir Suid-Afrika se departement van binnelandse sake, gesê.

Op 13 Mei 2019 het Africa Check ʼn soortgelyke storie op Facebook ontmasker wat beweer het dat Trudeau die Keniaanse president Uhuru Kenyatta “gesmeek” het om toe te laat dat ʼn miljoen Keniane na Kanada emigreer.

Nog ʼn bewering, dat Trudeau ook “gesmeek” het vir ʼn miljoen Nigeriese immigrante, is in April 2019 deur CBTV gepubliseer.

AFP Fact Check het die bewering as vals verklaar. En Kanada se ambassade in Nigerië het getwiet: “As jy hierdie skakel op jou sosiale media-tydlyn gesien het, moenie daardeur mislei word nie. Hierdie storie is nie waar nie. Vir WERLIKE inligting oor reise na Kanada gaan na www.cic.gc.ca.”

Die bewering van “miljoene” migrante het moontlik ontstaan toe die Kanadese regering in 2018 aangekondig het dat hulle ʼn miljoen permanente burgers oor die volgende drie jaar wou byvoeg.

 

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