Two years after it was proposed, Mumbai opens first detention centre for illegal foreign nationals | Mumbai News
3 min readMumbaiApr 11, 2026 06:03 AM IST
Nearly two years after it was first mooted and months after being described as “almost ready”, the state’s first ‘sthandbadhata kendra’ (detention centre) in central Mumbai has finally become operational. The facility, located in Bhoiwada, began functioning two weeks ago and currently houses around 40 Bangladeshi nationals awaiting deportation.
Last month, The Indian Express had reported that the centre remained unused due to a bureaucratic deadlock over its management, even as police struggled to accommodate detainees who could not be jailed as they were not facing criminal charges. In 2025, police detained and deported 1,058 Bangladeshi nationals, many of whom were temporarily housed in police station rooms. “On March 26, the facility that can house nearly 80 people was made operational; it was taken over by the Social Welfare department with security provided by the Maharashtra State Security Force within the compound and a constable outside the two-storey structure that has 20 rooms each floor with two bunk beds on either sides,” a senior officer said.
That the 40 people lodged at the centre will remain until being transported to the Indo-Bangla border for deportation, the officer said. A lone police guard from the Local Arms Division was stationed outside the structure during a visit by The Indian Express. Sources said that the Social Justice and Special Assistance department, which manages the facility, has divided it into male and female sections, with space for 60 men and 20 women. “All the necessary facilities such as food, bathrooms and bunk beds are available at the detention centre.”
However, operational challenges remain. “The division of male and female sections was skewed as they assumed more men would be detained. In reality, more women are being detained and the space for 20 women has already filled up due to which we have to house some of them in police stations,” an officer said. “We will request the Social Welfare department to make necessary changes…,” the officer said.
While over 1,061 Bangladeshi nationals were deported in 2025, nearly 400 have been detained this year, until March-end — 220 by the Mumbai police, and 180 by other units. “While the capacity of the detention centre may at times be inadequate, but with people staying there hopefully for a few weeks before they are deported, it should not be an issue,” the official said. The delay in operationalising the centre stemmed from disagreements between departments. The SJSA department had expressed reservations about handling foreign nationals, while police maintained that the detainees were neither accused in criminal cases nor in judicial custody. The issue was resolved with the SJSA taking charge.
In July 2024, the Maharashtra government approved two detention centres for illegal foreign nationals: A temporary 80-capacity facility in Bhoiwada, and a permanent centre at Balegaon SRPF grounds, Navi Mumbai with a capacity of 213. While the Navi Mumbai project has completed tendering, it is yet to become operational.
