Manipur's Chandel trains police personnel for online biometric registration of illegal immigrants

The Chandel District Administration on November 28 organised a hands-on training programme for district police personnel on operating biometric machines as part of the ongoing process to register illegal immigrants. 

The session, held at the Conference Hall of the Deputy Commissioner’s office, comes amid rising detection of illegal entrants in several border districts of Manipur, including Chandel.

Deputy Commissioner Chandel, Laishram Nandakumar (IAS), said that the district, like other border areas of the state, has witnessed instances of illegal immigrants entering its territory. He noted that under the latest directives of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), biometric registration is now mandatory for all such individuals prior to deportation. 

While the earlier system relied on physical documentation, the updated instructions require the entire biometric process to be conducted online. Once registered, the details of the foreign nationals will be uploaded to the MHA’s Foreigners Identification Portal for verification of their identity and nationality.

The Deputy Commissioner also pointed out the practical challenges of implementing the directive in remote border areas, many of which lack adequate internet connectivity. He said assistance is being sought from the Assam Rifles to provide internet access in these locations to ensure that biometric registration can be completed without delays.

Friday’s training session aimed to equip district police personnel with the technical know-how needed to carry out online biometric registration efficiently and to strengthen the district’s preparedness in managing the identification and documentation of illegal immigrants.