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India expels a French journalist after 13 years, denies work permit

A French journalist has departed from India after over 13 years due to being denied a work permit, a move he described as “incomprehensible censorship.”

Critics argue that media freedom in the world’s most populous democracy is increasingly under threat, with journalists who cover sensitive subjects often facing government pushback.

Sebastien Farcis, who reported for Radio France Internationale and other prominent French-language media outlets, left India earlier this week. He had been informed in March that his routine journalist permit extension was denied.

“This work ban comes as a big shock,” Farcis said in a statement issued in Paris.

“It was communicated to me on the eve of the Indian general elections, the largest democratic elections in the world, which I was hence forbidden to cover. This appeared to me as incomprehensible censorship.”

Farcis stated that no reason was provided “despite formal and repeated requests,” and that he had applied for a new work permit. However, the denial prevented him from “practicing my profession,” forcing him to leave India.

Without “work nor income, my family has been pushed out of India without explanation,” he added.

Increasing Restrictions

Farcis is married to an Indian national and holds Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status, which allows him to live and work in the country but requires a special permit for missionary activities, mountaineering, or journalism.

“This denial comes in a worrying context of increasing restrictions on the work of foreign journalists,” Farcis said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has faced accusations of suppressing independent media, with India falling to 159 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index.

In February, French journalist Vanessa Dougnac left India after more than two decades of work when authorities threatened to expel her for what they termed “malicious and critical” reporting.

In April, Australian ABC journalist Avani Dias said she was effectively forced out after being told her routine journalist visa extension would be denied.

Dias was issued a temporary visa less than a day before her scheduled departure but left anyway, stating it “felt too difficult to do my job in India.”

Written By

I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.

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