Malaysian family's portrait misused in anti-immigrant posts

The family portrait showing more than 20 people in traditional Muslim attire was shared on X on March 26 with the caption, "Stop all their benefits, take the house back and deport them all of them (sic)..." 

The caption is in response to text overlaid on the picture, which reads: "Khalil, who arrived in the UK by boat, is taking the government to court, claiming that they've not met the housing needs of his rapidly expanding family, despite being given a 5 bedroom property in North London.

"What should be done to help Khalil?"

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Screenshot of the false X post, captured on April 24, 2025

The same image was shared in similar posts elsewhere on X and Facebook here, here and here.

Public concern over immigration has risen in Britain, with the independent UK Migration Observatory reporting that salience increased from six percent in April 2022 to 38 percent in October 2024 -- the highest since 2016 (archived link).

The photo circulating online, however, does not show a migrant family in the UK.

AFP also found no official reports about an individual named "Khalil" taking the British government to court over his family's housing needs.

A reverse image search on Google found the photo had previously been shared on Shutterstock by Malaysia-based photographer Apiq Sulaiman (archived here and here).

The photo's caption reads: "5th July 2016, Pahang, Malaysia. Happy big family during Eid Fitr celebration."

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Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared image (left) and the photo posted on Shutterstock (right)

"That is the photo of my family, living in Malaysia," Apiq told AFP on April 24, adding that none of the individuals in the photograph are named "Khalil".