French journalist forced to leave India in 2024 says permit issued to resume work

More than a year after she was forced to leave India, French journalist Vanessa Dougnac on Thursday said that she has been issued a one-year permit to resume work in the country.

“The Government of India has authorised me to resume my profession as a foreign correspondent based in New Delhi,” Dougnac said in a statement.

On February 16, 2024, the journalist said that she had been forced to leave India by the Union government, merely a month after the Ministry of Home Affairs asked her to explain why her Overseas Citizen of India card should not be withdrawn.

Overseas Citizenship of India is an immigration status that allows foreigners of Indian origin to live and work in India indefinitely. If someone loses their Overseas Citizenship of India status, they require a visa to enter India.

On January 18, 2024, the Foreigners Registration Office, which reports to the ministry, issued a notice to Dougnac alleging that her “malicious” work had created a “biased negative perception” of the country.

The notice also alleged that Dougnac’s work could “provoke disorder and disturb peace in certain sections of society”.

The journalist, who is married to an Indian and had been living in the country for 22 years, has covered South Asia from New Delhi for several French publications such as...

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