The Media Line: Journalists Forced Into Exile Rise Sharply Worldwide, RSF Data Show

Journalists Forced Into Exile Rise Sharply Worldwide, RSF Data Show

Nearly 1,500 journalists from at least 65 countries have received emergency support since 2021, with Afghanistan accounting for almost half the cases

By Arshad Mehmood / The Media Line

[ISLAMABAD] Nearly 1,500 journalists from at least 65 countries have received emergency support from Reporters Without Borders after being forced into exile since 2021, according to data released June 19 ahead of World Refugee Day. Afghanistan accounted for almost half the cases.

Reporters Without Borders, known by its French acronym RSF, said it supported 1,468 journalists between 2021 and 2025 who fled threats, imprisonment, or threats to their lives. Over the same period, the number of countries from which journalists fled rose from 19 to 40. In 20 of those countries, at least 10 journalists were forced to leave.

Afghanistan was the largest source country, with 677 journalists supported by RSF since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Russia was next, with 160 journalists supported by RSF, while 101 Burmese journalists supported by RSF fled Myanmar after the military seized power in 2021.

RSF said the trend has also expanded across Sub-Saharan Africa, especially the Sahel and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in parts of Latin America, where political violence and organized crime have made independent reporting increasingly dangerous.

The organization warned that the forced exile of journalists weakens access to reliable information and creates openings for disinformation, including in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Vianney Loriquet, data journalist and head of the World Press Freedom Index at RSF, said the figures show a growing global pattern of repression.

“The exile journeys of journalists supported by RSF paint a global picture of repression year after year,” he said. Referring to the number of reporters forced to flee over the past five years, he said, “This is a staggering figure, yet it represents only a fraction of a much larger phenomenon.”

Loriquet said the dangers often continue after journalists leave their home countries, citing risks including extortion, deportation, and administrative abuse. He urged governments to strengthen protections for exiled journalists through emergency visas, residence permits, resettlement pathways, and safeguards against refoulement, the forcible return of people to countries where they may face persecution.

Victoria Lavenue, head of RSF’s Assistance Office, also warned that exile does not guarantee safety.

“When a journalist is forced to flee his or her country, exile does not put an end to the threats,” she said. “Precarious living conditions, isolation and transnational repression often compound administrative and linguistic difficulties in host countries.”

She said protecting exiled journalists is necessary to safeguard access to reliable information and democratic debate, and called on states to provide stronger reception and integration measures. RSF has recommended that host countries improve legal protections, offer financial assistance, and help exiled journalists continue their work.

Celia Mercier, head of RSF’s South Asia Desk, told The Media Line that Afghan journalists have fled the country since the Taliban takeover because of severe press freedom restrictions, censorship, arrests, detention, torture, and persecution.

She said exile has not ensured their safety, with many journalists facing insecurity, legal uncertainty, harassment, financial hardship, and transnational repression. Around 200 Afghan journalists in Pakistan are at risk of arrest, extortion, and forced deportation, she said.

Mercier said the forced exile of journalists represents a global threat to democracy and the right to information because it deprives societies of independent reporting on corruption, conflict, and human rights abuses.

RSF supports exiled journalists through emergency relocation grants, administrative assistance, advocacy against forced returns, and limited financial and capacity-building support for media outlets continuing their work abroad, Mercier said.

Iqbal Khattak, RSF’s representative in Pakistan, told The Media Line that the crisis facing exiled journalists is approaching a critical point.

“If this trend continues, it will have disastrous consequences for journalists and citizens who will be deprived of independent and reliable information,” he warned.

Khattak said criticism of ruling elites is increasingly being criminalized in some countries, while restrictions on public access to information deny citizens basic rights. He said Pakistan must sharply improve conditions for journalists so they can work independently and professionally.

He attributed the global rise in journalist exile to state pressure, authoritarian practices, and conflict, and called for collective international action and stronger support systems for at-risk media workers.

“RSF is doing its part by highlighting unsafe countries and supporting those in exile. We advocate for safe relocation with governments and provide training to help them continue their journalism from abroad,” Khattak said, adding that strong political will is essential to sustain independent journalism.

For Afghan journalists, the dangers are particularly acute. Azita Nazimi, a veteran Afghan journalist and former television presenter for TOLOnews and other prominent outlets, was among the women journalists who challenged Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid after the group seized power in 2021.

“That interview exposed the group’s true mentality,” Nazimi told The Media Line. “I saw first-hand that they were systematically oppressive toward women’s inclusion in society.”

“As the regime cracked down, female journalists became primary targets. My home was raided multiple times, but I managed to escape,” Nazimi recalled. “Because I was a recognizable face on television, concealing my identity was impossible. Fear and absolute uncertainty forced me to flee to Pakistan.”

Nazimi said exiled Afghan journalists in Pakistan and Iran face severe security risks, including persistent threats of deportation. “They remain deeply vulnerable, knowing the Taliban commands significant local support in both host countries,” she said.

She said the logistical challenges of exile are compounded by the psychological toll of being separated from home and family.

Abdul Haq Hamidi, a former Afghan journalist now based in Nice, France, previously served as editor-in-chief of the Gardish-e-Etilaat news agency and worked with several media outlets in Kabul. He told The Media Line that after the Taliban takeover, conditions in Afghanistan made his work increasingly dangerous.

In January 2024, he said, he was detained for three days, beaten, tortured, and humiliated. The experience left him fearful and helpless, he said, while continued surveillance and pressure further threatened his professional freedom and personal safety.

“The threats ultimately forced me to leave Afghanistan to protect my life and family. I sought refuge in Pakistan, where I lived for nearly two years in uncertain and exhausting conditions under fear of deportation,” he explained, adding that with RSF’s support and financial assistance, he was able to relocate to France in February 2026.

Hamidi said reaching safety in France has not erased the trauma of exile. “It is not easy,” he said, “to escape the shadow of fear, memories of torture, psychological pressure, and the sorrow of losing one’s homeland.”

He said exiled journalists often carry the daily burden of professional displacement, instability, and the loss of a life built over many years. Even in safer countries, he said, many do not feel fully secure.

Selsela, an exiled Afghan female journalist identified only by her first name for security reasons, said she was targeted by Taliban officials over her critical reporting. After evading multiple arrest attempts, she fled Afghanistan, only to face the threat of deportation in her host country.

“In exile, we face multiple hardships, including uncertain legal status, the threat of deportation, economic difficulties, limited employment opportunities, and the psychological burden of separation from family and an uncertain future,” Selsela said.

Anxiety among exiled Afghan journalists has grown following the recent deportation of a senior Afghan journalist from Turkey.

“For journalists in limbo, safety requires more than surviving the initial escape. True security exists when a person has legal residency, the ability to continue their professional work, and confidence that they will not be sent back to a place where their life may be at risk,” she said.