Mizoram may soon begin biometric data collection of 33,000 Myanmar refugees

The Mizoram government may soon collect biometric details of over 33,000 refugees from Myanmar taking shelter in the state, an official of the home department said on May 25.

The official said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had informed Chief Minister Lalduhoma during a meeting in New Delhi on Friday that the Centre has completed rectification of a portal for collecting biometric data of Myanmar refugees taking shelter in Mizoram.

"A demonstration of a portal was held recently online and was recommended for the Home Ministry's approval. Once the MHA gives its approval for format and credentials, we will begin biometric enrollment," the official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

He said that the biometric enrollment of Myanmar refugees was delayed primarily due to the format provided by the MHA as they were not suitable for the collection of biometric data of Myanmar nationals, who are taking shelter in the state.

"The earlier format demanded various mandatory credentials, which are not possible for the refugees to produce or furnish. Moreover, the format was primarily designed for the deportation of illegal immigrants. They were not suitable for recording the biometric details of Myanmar nationals, who are classified as displaced people and are given shelter on humanitarian grounds," the official said.

According to the government's latest record, there are 33,023 displaced people from Myanmar, including 12,361 children, currently taking shelter in Mizoram.

The displaced Myanmar nationals, mostly of Chin community from Chin state, who share ethnic ties with the Mizos, have been taking shelter in Mizoram since February 2021 after the military takeover in the neighbouring country.

In April 2023, the MHA had directed the governments of both Mizoram and Manipur, which share borders with Myanmar, to capture the biometric and biographic details of "illegal immigrants" in their states.

Again in June, the Centre directed the states that the exercise be completed by the end of September that year and directed both to prepare a plan and initiate the process.

Although the Mizoram government had initially processed the initiative towards the Centre direction by conducting training and appointing nodal officers, the Council of Ministers in its meeting held in September 2023 decided not to conduct biometric and biographic enrollment for refugees citing it is not advisable to undertake the exercise due to the state assembly polls to be held in November that year.

Later, the deadline for the collection of biometric details of illegal immigrants was extended till December 31, 2024. However, the Mizoram government delayed the exercise due to an inappropriate format and requested the MHA to rectify it.

Mizoram shares a 510-km-long border with Myanmar's Chin state.

Meanwhile, an official in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said that during a meeting between Lalduhoma and Shah on Friday, the Union Home Minister agreed to reimburse over Rs 5.23 crore to be paid to Assam Rifles as depreciated cost for buildings and infrastructures vacated by the paramilitary force in Aizawl.

Shah, on March 15, had attended a function, marking the relocation of Assam Rifles establishments from Aizawl to a designated camp at Zokhawsang, about 15 km east of the state capital.

The Home Minister assured Lalduhoma of swift action to ensure expedited transfer of the management of state-owned Lengpui airport to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the official said.

Shah also told the chief minister that he would look for avenues to support Mizoram under the state's flagship 'Bana Kaih' (Handholding Scheme) through peace-related initiatives, described as a 'peace dividend', the official said.

Both the leaders also discussed issues related to raising the Mizo Territorial Army and the Mizoram Maintenance of Household Registers Bill, 2019, passed by the state assembly in March 2019, which awaits the President's approval, he said. (PTI)