Deportation Centers in Istanbul: 2026 List and Contacts

This guide explains how to find out which removal centre (geri gönderme merkezi) in Istanbul your relative has been taken to, and what to do next.

How to Find Out Which Removal Centre a Foreigner Is Held In

When a foreign national is detained, the family is usually the last to know. A foreign national who is apprehended is reported immediately to the Valilik (Provincial Governorate); the governorate assesses within 48 hours at the latest whether to take a deportation decision (YUKK Article 57/1). For those about whom a deportation decision is taken and for whom it is considered necessary, an administrative detention (idari gözetim) decision is issued and the person is taken to a removal centre within 48 hours (Article 57/2). During this time the person may not yet appear registered at any centre; do not panic, and try the following three routes in order.

1. Your relative's own phone call. A person held in a removal centre must be given access to a telephone, to relatives and to a lawyer (Law No. 6458, Art. 59/1-b), so they need to know your number. You can also call YİMER 157, but it is an information line on visas, residence and protection and may not tell you which centre the person is in.
2. Apply in person to the İstanbul İl Göç İdaresi Müdürlüğü (Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Migration Management). You will get a faster answer if you bring a document showing your family relationship.
3. Get support from a lawyer specialised in immigration law for foreigners. By applying to the İl Göç İdaresi (Provincial Directorate of Migration Management), the lawyer tries to find out where the person is held and the notification dates of the decisions issued about them. These two pieces of information determine every step that follows.

Once you have learned through one of these three routes which removal centre your relative is in, you can reach that centre using the contact details below.

Deportation Centers in Istanbul: Addresses and Phone Numbers

According to the official list of the Presidency of Migration Management (as of 5 October 2026), the removal centres in Istanbul are Tuzla, Binkılıç, Çatalca and Arnavutköy (Temporary 1 and 2). Which centre a person is taken to depends on the place of detention, gender, family situation and how full the centres are that day; members of the same family may be placed in different centres.

Tuzla Removal Centre

It is the only centre on the Anatolian side and the best known removal centre in Istanbul.

• Address: Akfırat Mah. Süleymaniye Bulvarı 140.Cadde No:65 Tuzla/İSTANBUL
• Phone: 0212 499 40 00

Arnavutköy Removal Centre

It is on the European side, close to Istanbul Airport. The official list includes two centres in Arnavutköy, Temporary 1 and Temporary 2. Passengers refused entry at the airport, by contrast, are not under the deportation and administrative detention regime; they are kept in the area designated for them at the border gate (YUKK Article 7/3).

• Address: Hastane Mahallesi, Ayasofya Caddesi No:109 Hadımköy/Arnavutköy/İSTANBUL
• Phone: 0212 499 40 00

Çatalca Removal Centre

This centre lies in the west of the European side, far from the city centre. Plan your route before travelling there for a visit.

• Address: Kaleiçi Mahallesi (103 Ada 47 Parsel) Hanice Caddesi No:23 Çatalca/İnceğiz/İSTANBUL
• Phone: 0212 499 40 00

Binkılıç Removal Centre

It is in the Binkılıç neighbourhood of the Çatalca district and is also far from the centre of Çatalca. Families often hear this centre referred to simply as "Çatalca"; the two centres are separate, and you must confirm which one the person is in before going to visit.

• Address: Eski Kırklareli Yolu, Menekşe Sokak, Binkılıç Çatalca/İSTANBUL
• Phone: 0212 499 40 00

Note on Silivri (Selimpaşa)

The Silivri Selimpaşa centre is not on the current official list of the Presidency of Migration Management. If you are told your relative is held there, confirm this before you travel.

Transfers Between Removal Centres

When there is no space in the Istanbul centres, a foreigner may be transferred to centres in other provinces such as Iğdır, Erzurum or Kayseri. The transfer is not always reported to the family; a person may be in Tuzla one day and in Erzurum the next. For this reason, do not treat the information you obtained once as final; check again before a visit or a lawyer meeting.

A transfer does not restart the administrative detention period; the period runs without interruption from the date of the first decision. For a transferred person, too, an application against the administrative detention decision is made to the Sulh Ceza Hâkimliği (Criminal Judgeship of Peace). If the petition is handed to the administration or the centre, it is forwarded to the competent judge immediately (YUKK Article 57/6); which judgeship to apply to should be assessed with a lawyer according to the file. For the rules on time limits, see administrative detention period.

Visits, Phone Calls and Belongings

Family visits take place on the days set by each centre and upon presentation of identification; the number of visitors and the length of the visit are limited. Clothing, medication and, within certain limits, money may be handed over to the person held at the centre; a prescription or medical report is required for medication. Phone calls are made through the payphones at the centre using a credit (kontör) system; for the person to be able to call you, they must know your number and have credit. The details of these matters, the living conditions in the centres and the Constitutional Court's assessment of those conditions are set out in the article on removal centre conditions and rights.

Lawyer Visits and Power of Attorney

The law requires that a person held in a removal centre be given access to a lawyer and the opportunity to meet the lawyer (YUKK Article 59/1-b). In practice, the most frequent question concerns the power of attorney (vekâletname): the person is in the centre and cannot go to a notary. There are two routes. The notary may come to the centre, for a fee, and draw up the power of attorney; this is a known and working practice in the Istanbul centres. Alternatively, the lawyer records the meeting held at the centre in a written minute and, if necessary, relies on a bar association assignment to file the first application, with the power of attorney completed afterwards. Foreigners who cannot afford lawyer's fees may request legal aid within the framework of Article 57/7 of Law No. 6458.

The most important thing the family should bring to the centre is not clothing but documents: the rental agreement, the marriage certificate, the children's school enrolment documents and any medical reports. How these are used in the petition is explained in the sample objection petition.

What to Do in the First 48 Hours

Find out which centre the person is held in and keep that information up to date in case of a transfer. Establish which decisions have been issued against the person and the notification dates of the administrative detention and deportation decisions; the seven-day time limit for filing a case against the deportation decision runs from that date, and missing it is a mistake that is hard to repair. Collect the address, family and health documents. Arrange the lawyer meeting. Then plan the Sulh Ceza objection and the İdare Mahkemesi (Administrative Court) case separately; how the first one works is explained in the guide on objecting to an administrative detention decision, and the second in how to stop a deportation order. For the other ways out of a centre and what follows, see how to get out of a removal centre.

Legal Sources

Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, Articles 53, 57, 57/7, 58, 59; the Regulation on the Implementation of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection; information published by the Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı (Presidency of Migration Management) on removal centres.