Around 22 African women, some of whom have been victims of human trafficking, have found themselves trapped in India's foreigners' detention centres, facing conditions that they describe as deplorable and a lack of legal recourse. A harrowing picture emerges from accounts gathered at three detention facilities, where families - including young children - are being held for months or even years without clear prospects for release.
Mary, a 55-year-old Kenyan mother of four, has been detained since September after serving a two-year sentence for carrying cocaine. She claims she was tricked into transporting the substance and has now been denied antiretroviral drugs for nine months, leading to significant health problems including swollen legs, soaring blood pressure, and frequent collapses due to weakness. Her daughter, Peace, speaks of the family's desperation and unanswered pleas to the Kenyan High Commission in Delhi and the Indian Foreigners Registration Office (FRRO).
Women from countries such as Uganda, Nigeria, and Tanzania report being rounded up in police raids for minor visa infractions, often without access to their legal documents or clear timelines for release. Lily, a 27-year-old Ugandan survivor of sex-trafficking, was arrested with her two young sons in an early morning raid in April 2025. Over a year later, they remain in a detention centre near Bengaluru, where her children are growing up in what she calls a 'cage', exposed to filth and constant mosquito bites instead of schools and open play areas.
The detentions occur amidst police crackdowns such as 'Operation Clean Sweep', which started targeting African nationals in 2025. Many women claim they were lured to India with promises of work, only to be trafficked into forced labour or the sex trade. After escaping their exploiters, they were then apprehended by authorities for visa irregularities, leading to prolonged confinement. The lack of access to legal representation is a recurring theme, with women stating they cannot afford high fees demanded by lawyers who often make empty promises.
The situation raises critical humanitarian concerns and questions about India's treatment of vulnerable foreign nationals, particularly those who are victims of trafficking. The alleged denial of essential medical treatment, the indefinite nature of detentions, and the impact on children's development within these facilities are matters of grave concern. International human rights organisations are likely to scrutinise these practices closely, and there may be calls for greater transparency and accountability from the Indian authorities regarding their handling of foreign nationals in detention.