Forced to flee: The challenges exiled journalists face in Europe

Russia’s aggression on Ukraine has forced 8 million Ukrainians to leave their country and seek refuge in neighbouring European countries. Ukrainian journalist Iryna Belan recalls the absolute fear she felt more than a year ago.

Belan recalls, “I understood that the war would happen the moment I heard Putin’s speech on the 23rd of February [2022]. The next morning when I heard the bombing, I didn’t have any doubts about what it was. The day after we moved to Western Ukraine, to our distant relatives.”

Belan says that the bombing would force her into the basement, surrounded by the old and the young. She realised how difficult this will be for her and her teenage son. It is then that she decided to leave the country and seek refuge elsewhere. 

Belan’s story is one among the countless tales we hear of refugees, especially journalist refugees. To date, no census has ever recorded the exact number of journalists in exile. But the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has recorded a 227% rise in their assistance to exiled journalists in the recent three-year period.

In 2022, CPJ helped 206 journalists to gain shelter outside their home country compared to 63 journalists that received their assistance in 2020. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has also tried to help 400 journalists by providing them with letters to support their asylum and visa applications.  

CPJ also notes that most exiled journalists come from Afghanistan, Iran and Nicaragua. A common thread amongst all these countries is their weak press freedom. Cameroon journalist Emmanuel Nlend-Nlend told The Fix that telling the truth in Cameroon will result in the journalist being in the cemetery. Cameroon is 138th on the World Press Freedom Index 2023.

Most exiled journalists are forced into exile by authoritarian regimes. Threats and harassment from the government and military rule force journalists to either quit their profession or seek shelter outside their country, as is the case of Emmanuel Nlend Nlend. The other reason is war, as seen in Belan’s case. CPJ notes that more than 100 journalists fled during the Syrian Civil War between 2011 and 2015.

A recent report by the RSF highlights the migratory routes of journalists seeking exile. It showcases North America and Europe as the prime destinations for exiled journalists. 

Europe – haven for exiled journalists

A report by Körber-Stiftung notes two key reasons that motivate journalists to seek refuge in another country. First is the degree of safety. Exiled journalists not only gain physical safety but also safety and freedom to do journalism. While some European countries struggle with press freedom, other countries, particularly Scandinavian countries, enjoy the top spots on RSF’s World Press Freedom Index. 

Apart from press freedom, Europe also holds strong cultural and linguistic connections to other world regions. Exiled journalists from South America will tend to choose Spain; Caribbean journalists will choose the UK; and African journalists will choose France and Belgium. Because of its large Turkish population, Germany attracts Turkish journalists. 

But getting to this safe space is not an easy task. Louisa Esther, an activist-researcher of exile journalism, notes that “Many journalists forced to flee mainly from African and Latin American countries, often suddenly and under precarious conditions, do not have the opportunity to relocate to the US or a European country, as there are still no safe routes into exile for journalists”.

Esther explains that the lack of resources and safe routes from marginalised regions into Europe creates challenges for journalists. Nlend-Nlend adds that to get to Europe, one needs to overcome the challenges of lack of information, finding legal aid and getting a residence permit in the new country. 

André Linard, the co-founder of Brussels-based En-GAJE, a group that aids exiled journalists, told The Fix that “some of [the journalists who fled to Europe] had to live hidden or on the street before being legalised.” He recalls the uncertainty journalists face when making their way to the safe space. “In August 2021, a couple of Afghan journalists were put in an airplane to Pakistan without knowing where they would land. Imagine the shock.”

Getting to Europe is still a battle half won and the array of challenges faced by exiled journalists doesn’t end here.

Professional challenges

Doing journalism from a foreign country comes with its own set of challenges. Nieman Reports documents how being in exile makes journalistic work “exponentially harder”. Esther says, “[the] access to and verification of information gets challenging due to the unattainability of being on the field.” The safety of the sources present in the home country also gets precarious.

Despite being in exile, these journalists get no safe space online. A report by the Free Press Unlimited states how digitalisation makes journalists vulnerable to online threats, harassment and hacking. Many Russian media outlets that still report the realities of Russia’s atrocities have gone into exile. They have to maintain an extra layer of caution by placing their servers outside Russia.   

Linard says that by gaining asylum journalists lose their established career and source network behind. If reporting about their own country comes with challenges, the process of integrating into the media space of the new country is even harder. 

The biggest obstacle journalists face when integrating into the new media landscape is the local language. Language is the fuel that drives the profession of journalism. From interviewing, to research, to the writing process, all aspects of journalism are dependent on the journalist’s ability to use the language. 

The report notes that the first thing relief organisations for exiled journalists do is train the journalists in the host country’s language. Belan, the Ukrainian journalist, mentions that despite knowing Dutch she still struggles with the language. This closes her chance of working for the local media in the Netherlands. 

Language is not the only thing that journalists in a foreign country need to learn. Linard says, “Journalism is part of the culture of a country, which is not easy for exiled journalists to learn.” Along with the topic of their reporting, journalists would have to get acquainted with their audience, media organisation and the media culture of the new country.

Personal challenges

These extra responsibilities and learning come when the journalist is already burdened with trauma. Linard says that journalists undergo the same emotional upheaval as any other person in exile. He says they struggle with “psychological and physical insecurity, solitude [and communication] cut off with the family left in the [home] country.”

Linard continues, “The challenges highlighted by exiled women journalists seem to be the same as for women journalists in general and exiled women in general”. The challenges for women are more as they shoulder the responsibility of their families. Belan notes that any big decision she takes needs to consider her son. 

There has not been enough empirical investigation into the problems faced by women journalists in exile. But Esther notes her observation that there is a possibility that when it comes to gaining a job as a journalist in exile, men will have an advantage over women journalists.

The challenge of continuing being a journalist

The chance of getting hired by the local media is rare for exiled journalists. Belan notes that her lack of command over the local language makes her miss all local reporting opportunities. Nlend-Nlend notes the severe lack of opportunities for an exiled journalist to break into the European audiovisual media field. 

Being a presenter or a journalist in audiovisual media is such a rare feat that many journalists never get the opportunity. This forces them to take up non-journalistic careers like caregivers and technicians, continues Nlend-Nlend.

Lindard notes, “In Belgium, people with the official status of refugee are financially helped by the authorities but also pressured to find a job and to receive training in occupations in shortage. We know many who have given up their hope of remaining journalists because of economic constraints”.

There’s also the hesitancy seen by the media organisations in hiring exiled journalists. Lindard explains that this is because exiled journalists often blur the line between “journalism and activism”.  But things are changing. The Refugee Journalism Project has created this toolkit that helps exiled journalists and media organisations to overcome some of the most prominent challenges.

Europe has firmly established itself as a safe space. Nlend-Nlend says that he feels safe practising his profession as a journalist from his host country Belgium. While some journalists need refuge short-term, such as Belan, who plans to go back to Ukraine once the war ends. Other journalists need refuge long-term. And both these needs need to be addressed.  

There has been an increased focus on the issues faced by exiled journalists in recent times. This has opened many opportunities for them. The PRESSProtect, developed by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), is a dedicated platform that hosts information about all the opportunities available for journalists prosecuted for their work to access safety, training and work opportunities in Europe. 

Exile leaves the person with nothing. “It takes away everything from a person – their home, their family, their safety, their sense of belonging, their identity; and from a professional journalist their access to information, their sources, their professional identity, their reputation, their credibility and their livelihood”, says Esther. 

Europe is trying to provide a wider safety net for exiled journalists which includes physical safety, digital safety, legal aid, relocation support and more. This is a big step towards making sure that Europe continues to safeguard the principles of democracy for those journalists that have gotten prosecuted for championing freedom in their home country.

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