What was claimed
Footage shows migrants stealing items from a graveyard in the UK.
Our verdict
False. This footage was filmed in Ukraine. It is unclear what the people are doing by the graves.
Video does not show ‘migrants’ stealing items from UK graveyard
Footage shared on Facebook, TikTok and X claims to show migrants stealing from a graveyard in the UK.
This is false. The graveyard is in Ukraine. It is also unclear what the people are doing at the gravesides and we cannot tell if they are migrants.
The footage shows people picking up bags from the side of graves. In one version a voiceover claims the video shows “migrants stealing from cemeteries in the UK, taking flowers, tributes and personal items that families left for their loved ones”. The video includes a clip which says it is filmed in “modern Europe”, but the caption and voiceover clearly state it is in the UK.
Another version shares the footage alongside a claim it shows “real footage from cemeteries across the UK”.
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But there are several clues that the footage was not filmed in the UK. These include the large Ukrainian flag in the background, and the Cyrillic lettering visible on the gravestones. Cyrillic is the script in which Ukrainian is written.
The earliest example we could find of this clip was posted on TikTok on 27 April. It is in higher-definition to the more recent versions shared on social media and contains overlaid Ukrainian text that translates to “Business on ‘Provody’” according to Google Translate.
We cannot say for certain what the people in the video are doing, or if they are migrants. We used Turbo Scribe to translate the voiceover as follows: “Guys, the clock is ticking, they don't stand still. The life of a thief is not easy, but you have to stick to it.”
Other clips posted in April use the same voiceover, and include comments that imply the people at the graveyard are stealing, but we do not have enough information to make a judgement on this.
Provody is a traditional Easter-time ritual in parts of Ukraine, which involves people eating ceremonial meals as part of a commemoration of the deceased, leaving some of the food and drink for the dead.
According to a report in the New York Times, as part of this tradition “families spend time in cemeteries each year [...] tidying up graves and leaving food and flowers for their dead loved ones”. The video could simply be showing people tidying graves as part of this tradition, but we do not have enough information to say for sure.
We often see miscaptioned clips shared on social media, which can lead people to form beliefs based on inaccurate information. Our toolkit gives you advice on how to navigate bad information online.