Fact-Check: UK Charging £500 ‘Exit Fee?’ No, Clip Is AI-Manipulated!

AI-detection tool Hive Moderation revealed that the viral video was created using AI.

Fact-Check: This claim is false as we did not find any official records for the same. 

(Source: The Quint) 

A video featuring United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer is circulating on social media, claiming that starting 1 November, a new policy to impose a £500 fee on people leaving the country, including those travelling abroad for vacations, employment, or education will be implemented.

• It also asserted that “authorities state this is for managing borders and ensuring security.”

Here are the details shared in the video:

"Starting 1 November, a new policy will come into effect that has many talking. The UK will introduce a £500 fee for anyone leaving the country, whether for a holiday, work or study... Some are calling it an exit fee, seeing it as a challenge to travel for everyday families."

An archive of the post can be found here. 

(Source: Instagram/Screenshot) 

(Archives of similar claims can be found here and here.)

Is the claim true?: No, the claim is false as we did not find any official announcement or press reports about an 'exit fee.'

• Additionally, the viral video is manipulated using artificial intelligence.

What we found: At first, we ran a relevant keyword search to find more information about an 'exit fee' however, we did not find any official reports or annoucements about any such policy implementation from 1 November.

• This information was not available on the UK government or its parliamentary record's website, as well.

Discrepancies in the video: In the opening shot of the viral clip, PM Starmer can be seen allegedly explaining this 'exit fee.'

• However, Team WebQoof noticed irregularities in the lip movement, usually noted in AI-manipulated visuals.

• We ran the clip on the AI-detection website Hive Moderation and found that the clip was 99.5% 'likely' to contain AI-generated content.

Here is the report by Hive Moderation.

(Source: Hive Moderation/Screenshot) 

• Further, we took screenshots of the parts featuring Starmer in the viral clip and ran Google and Yandex image searches to check if could find its original source.

• It led us to a report by The Independent from 19 December 2024 which included a similar frame of Starmer as in the viral video.

Here is the report by The Independent. 

(Source: The Independent/Screenshot) 

• Team WebQoof conducted a relevant keyword search and found a video on the UK Parliament's official YouTube channel featuring Starmer, similar to the one seen in the viral clip.

Here is a comparison between the two frames. 

(Source: Altered by The Quint) 

• PM Starmer sat before the Liaison Committee and answered questions on growth and the economy, public services and global affairs and security.

• There was no discussion about an 'exit fee' from the UK.

Conclusion: An AI-manipulated video is being shared to falsely claim that the UK government will charge a £500 'exit fee,' upon leaving the country.

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