Francesca Orsini, a respected Hindi scholar and Professor Emerita at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, was reportedly denied entry into India and subsequently deported from Delhi Airport.
According to The Hindu, government officials confirmed that Orsini—an Italian national—had been placed on an immigration blacklist in March 2025 for allegedly breaching visa regulations. The authorities claim she had previously visited India on a tourist visa but engaged in academic activities during her stay, which is considered a violation under Indian immigration rules.
Orsini arrived in India from Hong Kong after attending an academic conference in China and was holding a valid five-year tourist e-visa at the time of her deportation.
Her case has stirred discussions within academic and diplomatic circles, reigniting debates over academic freedom, visa transparency, and cross-border scholarly exchange. Many in the global academic community have expressed concern, describing the incident as a setback for international research collaboration and cultural understanding.
At the heart of this story lies a question larger than one scholar’s deportation — how can nations uphold security and policy compliance while preserving the open exchange of ideas that academia thrives upon?
