Emergency visa mechanisms in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Poland.
Uncovering the truth is dangerous and can put journalists and media workers at serious risk. In 2022 alone, at least 57 journalists were killed. An unprecedented number of 533 journalists were detained. All too often, independent journalists fall victim to serious threats, violence and murder. Such experiences of unsafety lead to self-censorship and pose an imminent threat to press freedom.
When a journalist finds him- or herself in life-threatening danger because someone wants to keep the truth hidden, a situation can occur where the only way to safety is to seek refuge in another country. However, restrictive asylum and visa policies hamper pathways to international protection, within the European Union and elsewhere. In reality, journalists in danger often find themselves stuck in the country where they face persecution or worse. Due to crises, invasions and armed conflicts in Afghanistan, Belarus, Myanmar and Ukraine, we have seen a heightened awareness among certain governments that providing safe refuge to a group of at-risk individuals is necessary to protect those forces for change.