Author
According to the law, asylum applicants may be detained in specially designed closed spaces within the Regional Centres, as well as in public custody centres. Asylum applicants are only detained in prisons if they are convicted of a criminal act or if they are sentenced to imprisonment.
In practice, not most asylum applicants are detained on the territory or at the border. Asylum applicants are detained during an admissibility, Dublin or accelerated procedure, only in cases where the authorities identify well-founded reasons for a risk of absconding. CNRR stated they did not report issues of concern regarding the grounds for detention, or any violations of Article 8(3)(b) of the recast Reception Conditions Directive) and the Dublin procedure (Article 28 of the Dublin III Regulation).[1]
Specifically designed closed spaces in Regional Centres
All Regional Centres except Giurgiu contain specially designed closed spaces. According to IGI-DAI, the total number of available detention places is as follows:
| Capacity of specially designed closed spaces: 2025 | |
| Centre | Capacity |
| Timișoara | 15 |
| Şomcuta Mare | 15 |
| Rădăuţi | 10 |
| Galaţi | 30 |
| Bucharest | 96 |
| Giurgiu | 0 |
| Total | 156 |
Source: IGI-DAI, 02 March 2026.
In 2023, no asylum applicants were kept in these places. In 2024, no information is available regarding asylum applicants kept in these places. In 2025, according to IGI-DAI, 2 people were placed in specially designed spaces within the Regional Centres.[2]
Detention (“public custody”) centres
There are two Accommodation Centres for Aliens Taken into Public Custody (Centrul de Cazare a Străinilor Luați În Custodie Publică) in Romania with the following capacity:
| Capacity of detention centres: 2025 | ||
| Detention centre | Capacity | Possibility of extension the capacity |
| Otopeni | 114 | Up to 132 |
| Arad | 240 | Up to 400[3] |
| Total | 354 | 532 |
Source: IGI-DAI, 02 March 2026.
Asylum applicants placed in public custody centres shall be detained, as far as possible, separately from other categories of third-country nationals.[4] In practice, this is not the case according to the directors of the Arad and Otopeni centres.
Persons who are convicted of crimes are also to be accommodated in separate rooms from other categories of foreigner nationals. Foreigner nationals considered ‘undesirable’[5] are accommodated separately from the others, according to the Directors of Otopeni and Arad. Those who are convicted of crimes are only accommodated separately in Otopeni.
Transit zones
Romania has an airport transit zone in Otopeni Airport in Bucharest, with a capacity of 22 places. In 2023, according to the Border Police 18 persons were detained in the airport transit zone; no one requested asylum.[6] 11 people left the airport in less than 24 hours, and 7 had to stay longer than 24 hours (for flight delay reasons). In 2023 there were 16 airport transit zones, with a total capacity of 108 places.[7] There was no available information or data provided for 2024. The only information given was that there are 18 places in Otopeni Airport.[8]
According to information provided by the Romanian Border Police, 30 transit zones were available at the end of 2025, with a total capacity of 183 places. Among these, 104 places were located in airport transit zones. The Romanian Border Police reported that no persons were placed in transit zones in 2025. According to the authorities, the 237 asylum applications submitted during the year were lodged by persons who had already been granted access to the Romanian territory.[9]
[1] Information provided by CNRR, February 2025 and March 2026.
[2] Information provided by IGI-DAI, 02 March 2026.
[3] General Inspectorate for Immigration, “Achievements and Results Obtained by the Police Officers of the Accommodation Center for Foreigners Taken into Public Custody Arad in the First 11 Months of This Year”, 18 December 2024, available here.
[4] Article 19^16(1) Asylum Act.
[5] Article 86(1) Aliens Act defines undesirable foreigner as a foreigner who has carried out, carries out or there are solid indications that he/she intends to carry out activities likely to endanger national security or public order.
[6] Information provided by IGI DAI, 16 January 2024.
[7] Information provided by the Border Police, 3 March 2021.
[8] Information provided by IGI DAI, 23 January 2025.
[9] Information provided by IGPF, 09 March 2026.