Nearly 1,500 journalists representing at least 65 nations have required emergency assistance after being driven from their home countries since 2021, according to figures released June 19 by the press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders — known internationally by its French acronym RSF — ahead of World Refugee Day.
RSF reported that it provided support to 1,468 journalists between 2021 and 2025 who escaped threats, imprisonment, or dangers to their lives. During that same timeframe, the number of countries from which journalists fled more than doubled, rising from 19 to 40. In 20 of those nations, at least 10 journalists were compelled to leave.
Afghanistan stood out as the single largest source of displaced journalists, with 677 individuals supported by RSF following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. Russia ranked second, with 160 journalists aided by the organization, while 101 journalists from Myanmar received RSF support after the military took control of that country in 2021.
RSF noted that the trend has spread significantly across Sub-Saharan Africa — particularly in the Sahel region and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo — as well as in parts of Latin America, where political violence and organized criminal networks have made independent journalism increasingly life-threatening.
The organization cautioned that when journalists are forced out of their home countries, it weakens the public’s access to credible information and creates fertile ground for disinformation — a concern RSF specifically linked to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
Vianney Loriquet, a data journalist and head of the World Press Freedom Index at RSF, said the numbers reflect a troubling and expanding global pattern. “The exile journeys of journalists supported by RSF paint a global picture of repression year after year,” he said. Referring to the total number of reporters driven out over the past five years, Loriquet added, “This is a staggering figure, yet it represents only a fraction of a much larger phenomenon.”
Loriquet also emphasized that the dangers journalists face do not end when they cross a border, pointing to ongoing risks such as extortion, deportation, and administrative abuse. He called on governments to strengthen protections for journalists in exile through emergency visa programs, residency permits, resettlement pathways, and safeguards against refoulement — the practice of forcibly returning individuals to countries where they may face persecution.
Victoria Lavenue, who heads RSF’s Assistance Office, echoed those concerns. “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.”
Lavenue argued that protecting journalists in exile is essential to preserving access to reliable information and sustaining democratic discourse. She urged governments to put stronger reception and integration measures in place, including improved legal protections, financial assistance, and support for exiled journalists to continue their professional work.
Celia Mercier, head of RSF’s South Asia Desk, told The Media Line that Afghan journalists have been fleeing their country since the Taliban takeover due to severe restrictions on press freedom, censorship, arrests, detention, torture, and persecution. She said exile has not ensured safety for many of them, with ongoing insecurity, legal uncertainty, harassment, financial hardship, and transnational repression remaining serious concerns. Approximately 200 Afghan journalists currently in Pakistan face risks of arrest, extortion, and forced deportation, she said.
Mercier described the mass exile of journalists as a global threat to democracy and the right to information, arguing that it strips societies of independent coverage of corruption, conflict, and human rights violations. RSF supports displaced journalists through emergency relocation grants, administrative help, advocacy against forced returns, and limited financial and capacity-building assistance for media organizations operating from abroad, she said.
Iqbal Khattak, RSF’s representative in Pakistan, told The Media Line that the situation facing exiled journalists is nearing a breaking 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 that in some countries, criticizing those in power is increasingly being treated as a criminal act, while restrictions on public information deny citizens fundamental rights. He called for Pakistan to significantly improve working conditions for journalists and urged coordinated international action and stronger support systems for media workers at risk.
“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, stressing that meaningful political will is essential to keeping independent journalism alive.
For Afghan journalists, the dangers are especially severe. Azita Nazimi, a veteran Afghan journalist and former television presenter for TOLOnews and other major outlets, was among the female journalists who confronted Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid following the group’s seizure of 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,” she 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 Afghan journalists in exile in Pakistan and Iran continue to face grave security threats, including persistent deportation risks. “They remain deeply vulnerable, knowing the Taliban commands significant local support in both host countries,” she said. She also noted that the practical hardships of exile are made worse by the psychological weight of being separated from home and family.
Abdul Haq Hamidi, a former Afghan journalist now living in Nice, France, previously served as editor-in-chief of the Gardish-e-Etilaat news agency and worked with multiple media organizations in Kabul. He told The Media Line that conditions in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover made his journalism increasingly dangerous.
In January 2024, he said, he was detained for three days, beaten, tortured, and humiliated. The ordeal left him feeling frightened and powerless, while ongoing surveillance and pressure continued to threaten both 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, noting that with RSF’s support and financial assistance, he was able to relocate to France in February 2026.
Hamidi said arriving safely 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 carry a daily burden of professional displacement, instability, and the loss of a life built over many years — and that even in safer countries, 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 because of her critical reporting. After narrowly avoiding multiple arrest attempts, she fled Afghanistan, only to face deportation threats 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.
She noted that anxiety among exiled Afghan journalists has intensified 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.
