French journalist Sébastien Farcis, based in New Delhi, has claimed that his journalist permit was denied renewal, forcing him to return to France.

He described this as an “incomprehensible censorship” by the Indian government.

The Indian government has not yet issued an official statement addressing this matter.

He took to his social media platform, X, he wrote: “After 13 years working as a correspondent in India, the authorities have denied me a permit to work as a journalist. I have thus been forced to leave the country.”

He elaborated that the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had rejected his journalist permit avoids Fracis from practicing his profession in India and depriving him of his income.

“No reason has been provided to justify this work ban, despite formal and repeated requests made to the MHA. I have tried to appeal also, but to no avail so far,” he

Farcis claimed he has all the necessary visas and accreditations.

The journalist have respected the regulations imposed in India for foreign journalists and never worked in restricted or protected areas without a permit.

“Therefore, this work ban comes as a big shock.”

He further emphasized reporting even in the border areas as allowed by MHA; however, he was banned to cover Lok Sabha election this years, stating that he was “forbidden.”

“I am therefore deeply attached to India, which has become my second homeland. But with no more work nor income, my family has been pushed out of India without explanation, and uprooted overnight for no apparent reason,” he said as he married an Indian woman and holds Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status.

“This denial comes in a worrying context of increasing restrictions on the work of foreign journalists: after Vanessa Dougnac, I am the second French journalist in four months having to leave India under these conditions. At least five OCl foreign correspondents have been banned from working as journalists in less than two years.”

Farcis stated that he had applied for a new permit to work in India, and he was hopeful that it would be approved. However, he is forced to return to France since he is unable to work there.

The media organization Libération, which Farcis worked for, issued a statement saying that they had contacted the Indian embassy in France on Wednesday seeking official explanations. The embassy only promised to forward the inquiry to higher authorities in New Delhi.

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A letter was sent on March 27 to the Indian ambassador in Paris, the director of publication and editorial at Libération, along with the directors of RFI and news at Radio France (Farcis’s other employers), had requested clarification about a decision that they believe “infringes on the freedom to inform.” However, this letter has remained unanswered by the Indian authorities.

Fracis has been working as a South Asia correspondent in India for the past 13 years, and has been reporting for various media outlets, including Radio France Internationale, Radio France, Libration, Swiss and Belgian public radio stations.