Our passports were taken after we were told we didn't have a "research permit" - a recently implemented policy which, in my opinion, is intended to frustrate and ultimately hinder news coverage by foreign journalists and documentary makers.



We later learned while the policy is still being revised and developed, the fee to get a permit could be up to $5000 and a CV and other documentation is required.



"It could take days or weeks to process" according to one immigration officer, effectively making it impossible to cover a large breaking news event like the sinking of the Butiraoi.



According to immigration officials, the Government's recent hostility towards international press coverage appears to be rooted in the screening of a documentary at the Sundance Film Festival.



The country's previous President, Anote Tong, was the subject of the film, which focused on climate change in Kiribati.



In the doco, he spoke about why he'd purchased land in Fiji and the serious and imminent threat of rising seas to the future of his people.



But his views don't gel with the current President Taneti Mamau. In November Mamau said the idea of Kiribati sinking and becoming a deserted nation was "misleading and pessimistic."



Perhaps it's not surprising then that the man behind the doco ended up being arrested by Kiribati authorities. He only escaped after fleeing to Narau.



We did not come to Kiribati to report on rising sea levels and the country's impending doom.



We wanted to know why a ferry sank. After having our passports taken at the border, we were told we could enter the country and that we'd have our documents returned the following day.



We reiterated to the officials that climate change was not the focus and we were filming news, not a documentary.



Assuming we'd been given the all clear, we got on with the job, which included tracking down the ferry owner and survivors and filming interviews.



But what followed was a blatant attempt to stop us covering the story.