In its latest report, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has described Afghanistan as a “global hub of journalist exile,” stating that since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, at least 677 journalists have been forced to flee the country due to threats, arrests, security pressures, and risks to their lives.
According to the report, widespread restrictions on media activities, the detention of journalists, and the intensifying climate of repression have compelled many media professionals to leave Afghanistan. RSF warned that the continuation of this trend poses a serious threat to the future of independent media and citizens’ access to free information.
The organization also called on the international community to provide greater support for exiled Afghan journalists and to develop practical mechanisms to protect media workers at risk.
RSF emphasized that Afghanistan has become one of the world’s largest centers of forced journalist exile in recent years, with hundreds of media professionals still facing challenges related to residency, security, and the continuation of their professional work in host countries.