What was claimed
Images show migrants at run-down historical sites in Budapest, Hungary.
Our verdict
False. The images are AI-generated.
AAP FACTCHECK - Synthetic images of migrants gathering at graffiti-covered and rubbish-strewn historical sites in Europe are being used to stoke division online.
The social media images of Budapest landmarks are versions of real photos that have been altered using artificial-intelligence (AI) tools.
The images have appeared online following Viktor Orban's defeat in Hungary's April 2026 parliamentary elections.
The right-wing prime minister was a leading voice against migration into the EU during his 16 years in power.
One Facebook post shows an image of the Fisherman's Bastion in the city covered in graffiti with street vendors of African appearance sitting on rugs in front of it, selling merchandise.
"New Modern Europe. ‘Diversity is our strength’," the caption reads.
A Google reverse image search indicates it is a manipulated version of an April 2025 photo on the UNESCO website, showing the site without any graffiti or street vendors.
Fisherman's Bastion forms part of the Buda Castle District, a UNESCO World Heritage Site subject to strict heritage protections.
AI errors are also visible in the altered image, including repetitive graffiti patterns, blurred vendor faces and an unusual black object beside one of the monument's spires.
The image has also spread on X, along with other posts implying migrants are taking over European cities.
One X post shows an image of Muslim men wearing traditional Shalwar Kameez outfits and women in burkas gathered outside Budapest’s Great Market Hall amid piles of rubbish and a kebab stall.
"Hungary has voted for change. Budapest will finally look like a modern European city," the caption reads.
However, the image also appears to be synthetic and carries a "Made with AI" label.
A reverse image search indicates a digitally-altered version of an authentic photo from Wikipedia.
The Great Market Hall is an indoor market selling mainly Hungarian products, according to a Budapest tourism website.
AAP FactCheck found no evidence that a kebab stall operates at that site.
There are several indications that the image is AI-generated, including garbled text on the kebab stall, overly smooth clothing textures and distorted vehicles in the background.
The brickwork patterns around the building's windows do not match those on the Great Market Hall, as seen in Google Street View.
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