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Fake news / How the images of the Albanian exodus of 1991 were distributed on social networks as Europeans fleeing from the Second World War

Politiko 2022-04-07 16:35:12

Fake news / How the images of the Albanian exodus of 1991 were distributed on

The photo of an overcrowded ship in port has been shared on Facebook along with a claim showing Europeans trying to reach North Africa during World War II. But the claim is false, as the image shows Albanians fleeing their country in an attempt to reach Italy in 1991, shortly after the fall of communism.

The post, archived here, was posted on Facebook on March 18, 2022 and has since been massively distributed.

"These are not Syrians," he said. They are Europeans trying to go to North Africa (Algeria) during World War II. So the next time you think about closing the borders, you may want to check with your grandparents (sic), ”reads a post, writes factcheck.afp.com.

In fact, the black-and-white photograph shows thousands of people aboard a large ship called the Vlora, and the claim that the image shows desperate Europeans fleeing World War II is false.

Albanian exodus

This photo shows the events of August 1991, when a ship called Vlora sailed from Albania to Bari, Italy, transporting thousands of Albanian refugees seeking refuge abroad from the political and social unrest that followed the fall of communism.

Fake news / How the images of the Albanian exodus of 1991 were distributed on

The image in the article is identical to the one on Facebook, only it is in color.

Many other photos taken that day, from different angles, are available in the online archives. A YouTube search also uncovered a report that included footage of Vlora arriving in Bari.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe published a report on the exodus of Albanian citizens on 27 January 1992 and discussed the Vlora case.

"On August 8, 1991, about 10,000 Albanian nationals aboard several ships were forced into the port of Bari in southeastern Italy and approximately 1,000 into the port of Otranto, " the report said.

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