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India Immigration Detention

Quick Facts

International migrants (2015): 5,241,000
New asylum applications (2016): 8,642

Centres List

No detention centres data available

Statistics Expand all

A. Detention, expulsion, and incarceration statistics

419,623

Criminal prison population

2015

Criminal prison population

Number	Observation Date
419,623	2015
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief
385,135	2012
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief
372,296	2011
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief
376,969	2009
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief
376,396	2007
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief
358,368	2005
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief
326,519	2003
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief
313,635	2001
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief
281,380	1999
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief

1.5

Percentage of foreign prisoners

2015

Percentage of foreign prisoners

Percentage	Observation Date
1.5	2015
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief
1.7	2012
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief

33

Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population)

2015

Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population)

Number	Observation Date
33	2015
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief
30	2012
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief
30	2011
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief
31	2009
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief
32	2007
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief
31	2005
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief
29	2003
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief
29	2001
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief
27	1999
International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Undated website. "World Prison Brief." http://www.prisonstudies.org/world-prison-brief

B. Demographics and immigration-related statistics

1,311,051,000

Population

2015

Population

Number	Observation Date
1,311,051,000	2015
United Nations Population Fund. State of World Population 2015, http://www.unfpa.org/fr/world-population-dashboard

5,241,000

International migrants

2015

International migrants

Number	Observation Date
5,241,000	2015
International Migration, 2015, Wall Chart, UN Population, http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/migration/migration-wallchart-2015.shtml

0.6

International migrants as a percentage of the population

2015

International migrants as a percentage of the population

Percentage	Observation Date
0.6	2015
International Migration, 2015, Wall Chart, UN Population, http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/migration/migration-wallchart-2015.shtml

197,823

Refugees

2016

Refugees

Number	Observation Date
197,823	2016
UNHCR Population Statistics http://popstats.unhcr.org/en/persons_of_concern
201,381	2015
UNHCR Population Statistics http://popstats.unhcr.org/en/persons_of_concern
199,937	2014
UNHCR Population Statistics http://popstats.unhcr.org/en/persons_of_concern

0.15

Ratio of refugees per 1000 inhabitants

2014

Ratio of refugees per 1000 inhabitants

Number	Observation Date
0.15	2014
Statistical Yearbook 2014, Table 10 and 26, Asylum applications and refugee status determination by country/territory of asylum and level in the procedure, 2014. http://www.unhcr.org/54cf9bc29.html

8,642

Total number of new asylum applications

2016

Total number of new asylum applications

Number	Observation Date
8,642	2016
UNHCR Population Statistics http://popstats.unhcr.org/en/persons_of_concern
7,426	2014
Statistical Yearbook 2014, Table 10 and 26, Asylum applications and refugee status determination by country/territory of asylum and level in the procedure, 2014. http://www.unhcr.org/54cf9bc29.html

15.5

Refugee recognition rate

2014

Refugee recognition rate

Number	Observation Date
15.5	2014
Statistical Yearbook 2014, Table 10 and 26, Asylum applications and refugee status determination by country/territory of asylum and level in the procedure, 2014. http://www.unhcr.org/54cf9bc29.html

0

Stateless persons

2016

Stateless persons

Number	Observation Date
0	2016
UNHCR Population Statistics http://popstats.unhcr.org/en/persons_of_concern

Domestic Law Expand all

A. LEGAL TRADITION

Legal tradition Show sources

Name	Observation Date
Common law
World Legal Systems. University of Ottawa. http://www.juriglobe.ca/
Muslim law
World Legal Systems. University of Ottawa. http://www.juriglobe.ca/
Customary law
World Legal Systems. University of Ottawa. http://www.juriglobe.ca/

B. LAWS AND REGULATIONS

Constitutional guarantees? Show sources

Yes/No	Constitution and Articles	Year Adopted	Last Year Amended
Yes	The Constitution of India, Part III, Fundamental Rights, Articles 14, 21 and 22	1949	1949
The Constitution of India, 1949, updated up to 2012. Articles 14, 21 and 22. http://indiacode.nic.in/coiweb/welcome.html

C. GROUNDS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE IMMIGRATION-RELATED DETENTION

D. CRIMINALIZATION OF IMMIGRATION-RELATED OFFENCES

E. LENGTH OF DETENTION

F. PROCEDURAL STANDARDS

G. NON-CUSTODIAL MEASURES (ALTERNATIVES TO DETENTION)

H. VULNERABLE PERSONS

I. MANDATORY DETENTION

J. EXPEDITED REMOVAL AND RE-ENTRY BAN

International Law Expand all

1. Relevant international treaties and date of ratification

International treaties Show sources

Name	Ratification Year
CTOCTP, Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children	2011
UN Treaty Collection
CTOCSP, Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime	2011
UN Treaty Collection
CRPD, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities	2007
UN Treaty Collection
CEDAW, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women	1993
UN Treaty Collection
CRC, Convention on the Rights of the Child	1992
UN Treaty Collection
ICCPR, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights	1979
UN Treaty Collection
ICESCR, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights	1979
UN Treaty Collection
VCCR, Vienna Convention on Consular Relations	1977
UN Treaty Collection
ICERD, International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination	1968
UN Treaty Collection

Ratio of relevant international treaties ratified

9/19

Ratio of complaints procedures accepted Show sources

Number	Observation Date
0	2017
UN Treaty Collection

Relevant recommendations issued by treaty bodies Show sources

Name	Recommendation Excerpt	Recommendation Year
Human Rights Committee	§78 [...] (c) Release asylum-seeking and refugee children held in detention and enable them to access the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); ensure that unaccompanied and separated children, refugee and asylum-seeking children are not detained because of illegal entry/stay in the State party; and grant them the right to seek asylum and to stay in the State party until the completion of asylum procedures;	2014
Committee on the Rights of the Child, Concluding observations on the combined third and fourth periodic reports of India*, United Nations, CRC/C/IND/CO/3-4, 7 July 2014. http://uhri.ohchr.org/document/index/a0e6be96-7bfd-4adc-8315-455c5ec46802?from=ru

2. Regional treaties, regulations, and directives

3. Bilateral/Multilateral agreements linked to readmissions

4. Non treaty-based international human rights mechanisms

Relevant recommendations of the UN Universal Periodic Review Show sources

Recomendation Issued	Year Issued	Observation Date
No	2008	2017
Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review India, A/HRC/8/26, 23 May 2008, https://www.upr-info.org/sites/default/files/document/india/session_1_-_april_2008/ahrc826indiae.pdf
No	2012	2017
Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review* India, A/HRC/21/10, 9 July 2012, https://www.upr-info.org/sites/default/files/document/india/session_13_-_may_2012/ahrc2110indiae.pdf

Institutions Expand all

A. Governing structures

B. Institutions responsible for immigration detention

Custodial authority Show sources

Agency	Ministry	Observation Date
	Foreigners Regional Registration Office	2008
New Delhi/Press Trust of India. 2008. "Delhi Policed Launches Drive to Deport Illegal Immigrants." New Delhi/Press Trust of India. 13 July 2008.
	Foreigners Regional Registration Office	2006
National Human Rights Commission India, "Facilities for Foreign Nationals detained at Lampur Seva Sadan : Delhi ( Case No.693/30/97-98)," National Human Rights Commission India, http://nhrc.nic.in/DalitCases.htm#no2 (accessed October 2, 2007) (MO)
	Foreigners Regional Registration Office	2006
National Human Rights Commission India, "Facilities for Foreign Nationals detained at Lampur Seva Sadan : Delhi ( Case No.693/30/97-98)," National Human Rights Commission India, http://nhrc.nic.in/DalitCases.htm#no2 (accessed October 2, 2007) (MO)

Detention Facility Management Show sources

Entity Name	Entity Type	Observation Date
Police	Governmental	2009
Ujjwala Nayudu. 2009. "Repatriation of Illegal Bangladeshis a Costly Affair." ExpressIndia.com. 29 July 2009.
Police	Governmental	2008
New Delhi/Press Trust of India. 2008. "Delhi Policed Launches Drive to Deport Illegal Immigrants." New Delhi/Press Trust of India. 13 July 2008.

C. Detention monitoring institutions

D. Outsourcing and privatisation

E. Expenditures

F. Foreign sources of funding for detention operations

Socio Economic Data Expand all

A. Economics and Development Indicators

Gross Domestic Product per capita (in USD) Show sources

Gross Domestic Product per capita (in USD)	Observation Date
1,581	2014
The World Bank. GDP Per Capita (current US$).

Remittances to the country Show sources

Remittances to the country (in millions USD)	Observation Date
70,389,000	2015
International Migration, 2015, Wall Chart, UN Population, http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/migration/migration-wallchart-2015.shtml

Unemployment Rate Show sources

Unemployment Rate	Observation Date
	2014
The World Bank. Unemployment, total (% of total labor force), 2014

Net official development assistance (ODA) (in millions USD) Show sources

Net official development assistance (ODA) (in USD)	Observation Date
2,983.6	2014
OECD - DAC, Net ODA in millions USD, 2014, http://www.oecd.org/dac/stats

Human Development Index Ranking (UNDP) Show sources

Human Development Index Ranking (UNDP)	UNDP four-tiered ranking	Observation Date
130	Medium	2015
Human Development Reports

B. Attitudes and Perceptions

Pew Global Attitudes Poll on Immigration Show sources

% who agree with the statement “We should restrict and control entry of people into our country more than we do now.”	Observation Date
84	2007
Pew Research Center. 2007. "World Publics Welcome Global Trade — But Not Immigration." Pew Research Center. Pew Global Attitudes Project. 4 October 2007. http://www.pewglobal.org/2007/10/04/world-publics-welcome-global-trade-but-not-immigration/

Country Links

Government Agencies
International Organisations
Media
NGO & Research Institutions

Government Agencies

Bureau of Immigration: http://boi.gov.in/#

Ministry of Home Affairs: http://mha.nic.in

International Organisations

UNHCR: http://www.unhcr.org.in/

Media

The Indian Express: http://indianexpress.com/
Press Trust of India: http://www.ptinews.com/

NGOs and Research Institutions

Human Rights Law Network: http://www.hrln.org/hrln/

Centre for Development and Human Rights: http://www.cdhr.org.in

Additional Resources

July/August 2019 Newsletter

August 2019

OUR LATEST PUBLICATIONS Immigration Detention in Cyprus: Reception Challenges in Europe’s New Gateway Although the Republic of Cyprus is one of only a small number of EU member states that have yet to join the Schengen visa-free zone, the country is quickly becoming an important gateway for migrants and refugees as other routes into the EU […]

The Contours of Crimmigration Control in India – Global Detention Project Working Paper No. 25

August 2019

While the concepts of “crimmigration” and “immcarceration” have received much scrutiny in the Global North, far less attention has been given to them in the context of South-South migration. This working paper helps address this gap by identifying distinctive aspects of crimmigration control in India and its connections with the governance of migration in wealthier countries.