French journalist forced to leave India as MHA refuses to renew his work permit 

French journalist Sebastien Farcis forced to leave India after MHA denies work permit renewal without explanation.

A second French journalist, working in India since 2011, said he had been forced to leave the country after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) denied the renewal of his work permit without providing any reason.

Sebastien Farcis, who is married to an Indian and has the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status since 2021, said he was deeply attached to India, which had become his 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,” Mr. Farcis said in a post on social media platform X.

When asked to comment on the matter, there was no response from the MHA. 

Earlier this year, French journalist Vanessa Dougnac, who had been living in India for 22 years, left the country after the MHA sent a notice citing “malicious reportage” and visa violations, asking why her OCI card should not be cancelled.

Mr. Farcis was the South Asia correspondent and bureau chief of Radio France, a national public broadcaster, and its world service, Radio France Internationale, a government-funded, independent broadcast organisation.

He had earlier received permits from the MHA to visit restricted areas, had reported from Sikkim on organic farming, and attended a G20 meeting in Jammu and Kashmir.

He had previously been granted a journalist permit on September 1, 2022 for a period of one year. Upon applying for its renewal on August 9, 2023, he was informed on March 7, days before the recently concluded General Election was announced, that his application had been denied. No reasons were cited. His appeal against the decision in April did not elicit a response from the MHA.