Mizoram government is set to begin documenting displaced nationals through biometric and biographic data collection.
Aizawl (Mizoram), July 17: Amid the steady influx of refugees from neighbouring Myanmar, the Mizoram government is set to begin documenting displaced nationals through biometric and biographic data collection.
A senior official from the state’s Home Department confirmed that the process, targeting approximately 35,000 Myanmar nationals, is expected to start by the end of July.
The initiative will utilize the Foreigner Identification Portal and will be rolled out across all 11 districts of the state.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has allocated ₹38 lakh to support the operation, which will be overseen by district administrations under the supervision of respective Deputy Commissioners.
The move comes as security remains tight along the India-Myanmar border, guarded by the Assam Rifles. In recent weeks, the paramilitary force has intensified efforts to curb cross-border smuggling and monitor the movement of militants.
Notably, Myanmar nationals fleeing conflict are being permitted to enter India on humanitarian grounds even as Assam Rifles guarding the India-Myanmar border tightened security.
Since the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, Mizoram has witnessed a consistent rise in refugee arrivals. The current estimate of displaced people from Myanmar residing in the state stands at around 35,000. The majority belong to the Chin community, which shares deep ethnic, linguistic, and cultural bonds with the Mizos.
These refugees are currently accommodated in relief camps spread across most districts of the state, receiving support from both government agencies and local civil society groups.
Meanwhile, officials reported that nearly 3,000 refugees, including many women and children, who had recently taken shelter in Mizoram amid fresh ethnic clashes in Myanmar, have returned to their home villages. The return followed a lull in violence after weeks of armed confrontation.
Earlier this month, approximately 4,653 individuals had crossed the porous international border into Mizoram’s Champhai district to escape fierce fighting between the Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) and the Chinland Defence Force (CDF), two ethnic armed groups opposing Myanmar’s military regime.
The skirmishes, which erupted between June 28 and July 5, were centered on territorial control in parts of Myanmar’s Chin State.
Despite the precarious situation across the border, Mizoram continues to uphold its humanitarian commitment, offering refuge and support to those fleeing violence, even as it takes steps to systematize their presence through formal documentation. (Edited)
