3 Foreign Journalists Leave India in 5 Months After Permit Refused
French Journalist Sébastien Farcis is the Latest to Leave the Country
Newsreel Asia Insight #259
June 22, 2024
Since February 2024, three foreign journalists have allegedly been compelled to leave India following the refusal of their journalist permits, which appears to be a concerning trend for press freedom in the country. French journalist Sébastien Farcis, alongside his colleagues Vanessa Dougnac, also from France, and Avani Dias from Australia, represents the latest in a series of foreign correspondents allegedly facing significant barriers in the country.
Farcis, who had served as the India correspondent for Radio France Internationale and Libération since 2011, publicly stated on X that he was forced to leave India on June 17, 2024. He mentioned that his journalist permit, essential for his profession, was not renewed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on March 7, without any justification provided despite his formal requests and appeals.
Farcis, who holds Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status similar to Dougnac, said he complied with Indian regulations over his 13-year tenure, having secured all necessary visas and accreditations. “I have respected the regulations imposed in India for foreign journalists and never worked in restricted or protected areas without a permit,” Farcis wrote.
Speaking to The Indian Express, the journalist also noted that the MHA had previously authorised him to report from sensitive border areas multiple times. The timing of the permit refusal, right before the 2024 general election, struck him as an act of “incomprehensible censorship,” he wrote on X.
Dougnac, who also holds OCI status, faced a similar ordeal, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
In September 2022, her journalism permit was allegedly revoked by Indian authorities without a given reason. This action forced her to cease reporting from India, as verified by the CPJ. By January 2024, further pressures were reportedly mounted as the MHA issued a notice intending to withdraw her permanent residency status, accusing her of engaging in unpermitted journalistic activities and creating a “biased negative perception” of India.
Dougnac, who had lived in India for 23 years and is married to an Indian citizen, contested these accusations. Her lawyers and CPJ at the time called for the reinstatement of her journalism permit and an end to the use of legal hurdles to hinder journalistic work.
Dougnac regularly reported on a range of issues, such as human rights, international and domestic politics, for several publications, including the French daily newspaper La Croix, French weekly Le Point, Swiss French-language daily newspaper Le Temps, and French-language Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir, the CPJ noted.
Avani Dias, the South Asia bureau chief for ABC News, also departed from India in April under challenging circumstances, according to her employers.
Her visa extension was allegedly denied following an episode of her program, “Foreign Correspondent,” which reportedly displeased Indian authorities. The Ministry of External Affairs communicated this decision just days before the national elections, adding to the complications of her reporting duties.
According to Dias, this denial was a part of a pattern of making it “too difficult to do my job.” Despite last-minute lobbying by Australian diplomats, which resulted in a two-month visa renewal, Dias and her team had already planned their departure.
India is placed 159th among 180 countries in the 2024 Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders. “According to the index, press freedom in India is currently comparable to that of the occupied Palestinian territories; the UAE, an absolute monarchy; Turkey, a flawed democracy; and Russia, an authoritarian regime,” The Hindu noted in May.
