Mizoram begins biometric enrollment of over 32,000 Myanmar refugees for identification

Mizoram is set to begin biometric enrollment of more than 32,000 Myanmar refugees currently taking shelter across the state, a senior official announced on Wednesday. The move is aimed at identifying the refugees and is not linked to any deportation process, authorities clarified.

State Additional Home Secretary Andrew H. Vanlaldika said the collection of biometric and demographic data will take place across all eleven districts within this month. District administrations have already conducted training sessions, and necessary equipment like computers and webcams will be provided for the enrollment process.

"The biometric enrollment of the Myanmar refugees will begin this month, depending on the convenience of district administrations," Vanlaldika told PTI.

"We have held training for officials for this purpose. The enrollment will be done online," he added.

Vanlaldika emphasised that the initiative is purely for identification purposes.

"The biometric enrollment is specifically meant for the identification of Myanmar refugees and does not connote deportation to their country," he stressed.

The process will use the Foreigner Identification Portal developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). A similar identification effort may be carried out later for Bangladeshi nationals residing in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district, pending directives from the central government.

Aizawl Deputy Commissioner Lalhriatpuia confirmed that the enrollment will soon begin in his district, although he acknowledged the fluid nature of the refugee population due to frequent cross-border movement. An estimated 3,000 Myanmar nationals currently reside in the Aizawl district.

According to the state home department, 32,419 Myanmar refugees are presently sheltered in Mizoram, but the number changes regularly as some return to Myanmar and later come back. Additionally, 2,371 Bangladeshi nationals from the Chittagong Hill Tracts and 7,354 Zo ethnic people from Manipur — displaced by ethnic violence since May 2023 — are also staying in the state.

Most Myanmar refugees fled Chin State following the military coup in February 2021. The Bangladeshi nationals arrived after military operations in 2022, while the Zo people from Manipur sought refuge due to ethnic unrest. The Chin, Bawm, and Kuki-Zo people share close ethnic ties with the Mizos, contributing to their acceptance in the state. (PTI)