Tactic
Expulsion and visa denial
A government expels correspondents who report from its territory for news organisations based in other countries, refuses them visas or accreditation, or declines to renew their permission to stay. The effect is less independent reporting from inside the country.
The earliest incident in the record using this tactic is dated 1 January 1917.
The ladder for expulsion and visa denial: where this tactic has led, stage by stage
The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.
Incidents by country and year
China, RSF 2026 rank: 178th of 180
| Date | Incident | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 June 1989 | China expels foreign journalists and restricts coverage of the Tiananmen Square protests | Punish | Li Peng | Sustained (1 January 1990) |
| 17 March 2020 | China expels American journalists from three major U.S. newspapers | Punish | Xi Jinping | Sustained |
Ethiopia, RSF 2026 rank: 148th of 180
| Date | Incident | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 May 2022 | Ethiopia: Economist correspondent Tom Gardner expelled | Punish | Abiy Ahmed | Sustained (13 May 2022) |
Haiti, RSF 2026 rank: 107th of 180
| Date | Incident | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Haiti's Duvalier government arrests and deports Radio Haiti-Inter staff, driving its director into exile | Eliminate | Jean-Claude Duvalier | Reversed (1 February 1986) |
India, RSF 2026 rank: 157th of 180
| Date | Incident | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 November 2019 | India: journalist Aatish Taseer's overseas citizenship revoked | Punish | Narendra Modi | Sustained (7 November 2019) |
Iran, RSF 2026 rank: 177th of 180
| Date | Incident | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 June 2009 | Iran expels a BBC correspondent and restricts foreign journalists after a disputed 2009 election | Punish | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad | Unknown |
Israel, RSF 2026 rank: 116th of 180
| Date | Incident | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 January 2026 | Israel: ban on independent entry of foreign journalists into the Gaza Strip, 2023 to 2026 | Restrict | Sustained (25 February 2026) |
Nicaragua, RSF 2026 rank: 168th of 180
| Date | Incident | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2018 | Nicaragua: freelance correspondent detained and deported after online campaign | Punish | Daniel Ortega | Sustained (30 September 2018) |
| 15 February 2023 | Nicaragua strips 94 political opponents, including journalists, of citizenship | Eliminate | Daniel Ortega | Sustained |
Russia, RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180
| Date | Incident | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 May 2022 | Russia: CBC/Radio-Canada bureau closed and journalists' visas cancelled | Punish | Vladimir Putin | Sustained (18 May 2022) |
Türkiye, RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180
| Date | Incident | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 January 2019 | Türkiye: Dutch freelance journalist Ans Boersma deported | Punish | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | Sustained (17 January 2019) |
| 19 March 2025 | Türkiye: detention, injury and deportation of journalists covering protests, March 2025 | Punish | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | Unknown (2 April 2025) |
United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180
| Date | Incident | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | United States convicts Mother Earth editor Emma Goldman of draft conspiracy and bars her magazine from the mail | Punish | Woodrow Wilson | Upheld by a court (14 January 1918) |
Venezuela, RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180
| Date | Incident | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 September 2017 | Venezuela expels or denies entry to dozens of foreign journalists covering anti-government protests | Punish | Nicolas Maduro | Ongoing (25 January 2018) |
| 28 July 2024 | Venezuela detains, expels and restricts journalists after disputed 2024 election | Punish | Nicolas Maduro | Sustained |