Mumbai: Maharashtra’s first detention centre for foreign nationals staying in the city illegally before they are sent back to their country is now operational. The detention centre, a two-storey structure in Central Mumbai’s Bhoiwada, currently houses 39 Bangladeshi nationals who will be deported to Bangladesh.In 2024, the state govt had approved two detention centres to keep illegal foreigners. While one temporary facility was to come up in Mumbai, another permanent centre was sanctioned for Navi Mumbai with a capacity of 213. The Navi Mumbai centre is likely to be operational soon.On March 26, the Mumbai facility became operational. “Currently there are 39 foreign nationals, lodged at the facility, who were living illegally in the city and detained. They will be deported,” said a police officer. Last year, the city police had nabbed and deported 1,058 Bangladeshis who were staying in the city illegally.The detention centre can house 80 people. It has 20 rooms on each floor with bunk beds, food and bathroom facilities. The facility is now being supervised by the social welfare department and the Maharashtra state security force personnel have been appointed for security within the compound while a Mumbai police constable is posted outside the facility.This year till March, around 400 Bangladesh nationals staying illegally, including 220 in Mumbai, in the state were detained. The city police personnel, who are entrusted with the job of intelligence gathering, are working to identify the illegal foreign nationals and cases are registered at the local police station.
