Unacceptable Immigration Experience for Families with Toddlers – Mumbai Airport

Our immigration experience at Mumbai Airport was extremely poor and inhumane.
We were in the “child in arms” queue and were forced to stand for over 2 hours, literally holding a toddler the entire time. There were barely 10 families ahead of us, yet the line barely moved. This level of delay is unacceptable after a long international journey, especially for families traveling with young children.
The issues were very clear:
Severely understaffed immigration counters
Extremely slow processing, beyond any reasonable explanation
No guidance or information provided to passengers
Unhelpful staff when asked how to proceed
Multiple counters visible but not operational, raising the question of why they exist if they cannot be staffed
It is humanly impossible and completely unreasonable to expect families with children to stand for hours with no seating, no support, and no clarity. Passengers were left waiting endlessly with no communication or accountability.
What is the point of investing in impressive airport interiors if basic services and technology move at a sloth’s pace? Immigration should be efficient, humane, and well-managed so travelers can reach their homes or catch connecting flights without unnecessary suffering.
Mumbai Airport urgently needs better staffing, better-trained personnel, clearer guidance, and faster processing, especially for vulnerable passengers such as families with children.
This experience was one of the worst parts of our journey and needs immediate attention.

• ← Loot and insufficiency of proper cab services
• Broken unprofessional bag drop services →