French journalist says he has been forced to leave India after Centre denies renewal of work permit

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.

After 13 years working as a correspondent in India, the authorities have denied me a permit to work as a journalist. I have thus been forced to leave the country.