The Government of Meghalaya has officially notified the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBoSE) hostel in Laitumkhrah, Shillong, as a temporary holding and detention centre for foreign nationals who have completed their prison terms and are awaiting deportation.
The notification was issued by the state’s Home (Political) Department on September 17, 2026, after the High Court of Meghalaya rejected an earlier proposal to set up the facility in Nongstoin.
High Court Issues September 28 Transfer Deadline
On September 21, 2026, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh took up a suo motu petition regarding foreign prisoners languishing in jails past their sentences. Directing the state to act without delay, the bench ordered all 30 eligible foreign nationals currently lodged in various district jails to be transferred to the MBoSE hostel by September 28, 2026.
Following the judicial order, the Inspector General of Prisons and Correctional Services instructed jail superintendents across the state to initiate the transfer process immediately.
Key Details of the Facility
According to the status report submitted by the state government to the High Court, the hostel has been fitted with the following infrastructure:
- Capacity: A ground-plus-two (G+2) storey building featuring six dormitories with a total capacity of 60 beds.
- Security Deployments: 26 administrative and ward staff, 8 security personnel, and a dedicated police platoon guarding entrance gates and watchtowers.
- Monitoring & Safety: 26 CCTV cameras across the compound along with standard fire-safety installations.
- Healthcare: A stationed Medical Officer supported by three medical personnel.
