Coinciding with World Refugee Day, Reporters Without Borders announced that between 2021 and 2025, 1,468 journalists supported by the organization from 65 countries have fled threats, imprisonment, and life-threatening risks and are now living in exile. According to the report, nearly half of these journalists are Afghan nationals.
The report by Reporters Without Borders, published on Friday, 29 Jowza, states that following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Afghanistan has become one of the main hubs of journalistic exile in the world. The organization says that during this period, 677 Afghan journalists have left the country with its support.
According to the report, Afghan journalists who left the country with the organization’s assistance are now living in 28 countries worldwide. Reporters Without Borders described this trend as one of the largest waves of exile of independent journalists in modern history.
The organization added that the highest number of journalist departures from Afghanistan was recorded in 2022, when 183 journalists were forced to leave the country. It said the exodus of journalists from Afghanistan is still ongoing, with 82 more journalists leaving the country in 2025 alone.
Reporters Without Borders emphasized that the actual number of Afghan journalists who have left the country in recent years is likely much higher than the figures recorded in this report, as many have migrated through other routes and are now living in different countries around the world.
The organization also warned that many Afghan journalists continue to face security and legal challenges even after leaving the country. The report states that some of these journalists in host countries still face the risk of forced return or restrictive residency conditions.
Reporters Without Borders also highlighted the situation of Afghan journalists in Pakistan, noting that following the start of large-scale deportations of Afghan migrants from that country in 2023, at least 50 journalists were forcibly returned to Afghanistan. The organization added that the residence visas of many Afghan journalists in Pakistan are also not being renewed, leaving them in an uncertain legal situation.
In another section of the report, it is stated that the media environment inside Afghanistan continues to face extensive restrictions. According to Reporters Without Borders, at least five journalists are currently being held in Taliban detention.
The organization wrote in its report: “For Afghan journalists, the options are becoming increasingly limited each year: disappearing from the media landscape, exile, or the risk of arrest.”
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, they have imposed extensive restrictions on media activity and journalists. During this period, numerous reports have emerged of media outlets being shut down, journalists being arrested, and restrictions being imposed on media broadcasting.
Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, hundreds of journalists, media workers, and media activists have left the country due to security concerns and have sought refuge in various countries, including European nations and the United States.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
