French journalist forced to leave India in 2024 given one-year work permit

French journalist Vanessa Dougnac. File
| Photo Credit:  X/@RSF_inter

A French journalist who was forced to leave India after her work permit was suspended a year ago, said on Thursday (March 27, 2025) that she had been authorised by the Government of India to resume her profession as a foreign correspondent based in Delhi.

The journalist, Vanessa Dougnac, a French national married to an Indian, had been living in India for more than two decades. In January 2024, she was served a notice by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), alleging that her reports created a “biased negative perception about India”.

She wrote for French publications, including Le Point and La Croix.

The notice had sought an explanation as to why the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card allotted to her should not be cancelled, accusing her of “malicious” reportage.

On Thursday, Ms. Dougnac said in a statement that her right to work in India had been reinstated. “A one-year work permit has been granted to me by the relevant authorities. I am very pleased that my professional rights as a journalist to work in India have been reinstated. As always, I have only ever wanted to do my job as a journalist, with integrity and rigour, in a country I love and respect. With my permit suspended, however, I had to abandon my position as a regional correspondent in India and South Asia for several publications, and everything I had built over 25 years in Delhi. Under the threat of serious accusations and the possibility of expulsion, I was forced to leave India suddenly in February 2024,” she said.

She thanked the French Embassy for the resolution of the issue.

“I reaffirm my attachment to India, a country to which I owe so much and where I have lived rich and exciting years, both personally and professionally. The possibility of returning and practising my profession in India once again is now an immense relief. I acknowledge and welcome the decision of the Indian authorities and will reflect on my next steps,” Ms. Dougnac said.