The European Union likes to present itself as a safe haven for press freedom, a continent of open borders and open discourse. But beneath that polished image, a growing pattern tells a different story: journalists, both EU citizens and foreign correspondents, are being deported, detained, or denied entry under the vague and unchallengeable pretext of “national security.”
This is not happening in Hungary or Belarus. It’s happening in France, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, and Sweden, countries that often rank among the highest on press freedom indexes.
And no one wants to talk about it.
In just the past two years, the following journalists have faced action under “national security” labels:
Chay Bowes (Ireland) – Deported from Romania in April 2025 while attempting to report on elections. Authorities cited a pre-existing entry ban but refused to disclose the justification.
Two journalists from Izvestia (Russia) – Denied visas by France in 2025 on the grounds of public order and national security.
Alexander Gatsak (Russia) – Expelled from Bulgaria in 2023 under state security provisions.
Pablo González (Spain) – Held in Poland without trial for 886 days on espionage suspicions. The evidence remains sealed.
Richard Medhurst (UK/Syria) – Detained under terrorism legislation in both the UK and Austria for his reporting.
An unnamed Chinese journalist – Expelled by Sweden in 2024 with no public explanation.
Each case different. The justification identical: a threat to national security.
The common thread? Opaque legal processes. In most of these cases, journalists were either not told the reason for their classification or were denied access to the documents outlining it. Appeals are difficult or impossible. The shield of data protection laws and closed-door security briefings ensures that the truth and accountability remains just out of reach.
Inter Bellum News reached out to every major European press freedom body involved in monitoring violations:
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) acknowledged our request and promised a response. None came. Neither did replies from the EFJ, RSF, or IPI, despite multiple follow-ups across two weeks. The silence speaks for itself.
This silence is especially notable when Russian journalists are involved. There is little appetite among Western institutions to be seen defending individuals associated with RT, Izvestia, or other Russia based outlets — even when those individuals are journalists under threat from EU states.
The result? Selective solidarity, and a press freedom landscape that fractures along political lines.
The problem isn’t just the deportations or detentions. It’s that EU law allows them to happen in the dark. “National security” operates outside of transparency. Once invoked, it overrides the EU’s strongest human rights mechanisms, without oversight, without press access, without accountability.
Even institutions tasked with defending journalists seem unwilling to question that authority. And in that silence, the loophole grows wider.
What began as a trickle of isolated cases is becoming a trend, one that could define the next chapter of Europe’s press history. In a continent still reeling from the rise of illiberalism and disinformation, the response from democratic states is quietly shifting toward control.
But when journalists are labeled threats simply for crossing a border with a press pass, the question is no longer about politics. It’s about power.
And who’s willing to speak when everyone else stays silent.