Aizawl: Mizoram is set to commence the biometric enrollment of more than 32,000 Myanmar refugees residing across the state, a move aimed at identification and demographic documentation, not deportation, officials clarified on Wednesday.
State Additional Home Secretary Andrew H. Vanlaldika announced that the biometric and demographic data collection would be conducted in all eleven districts within this month. District administrations have already undergone training, and equipment such as computers and webcams will be deployed to facilitate the online process.
“The biometric enrollment of the Myanmar refugees will begin this month, depending on the convenience of district administrations. This exercise is solely for identification purposes,” Vanlaldika stated. He added that the initiative will be conducted through the Foreigner Identification Portal developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
Vanlaldika underscored that the enrollment is not linked to deportation efforts. “It is specifically meant for identifying those taking shelter in Mizoram, and not for sending them back,” he said.
Aizawl Deputy Commissioner Lalhriatpuia confirmed that the process would soon begin in his district, acknowledging the challenge of tracking refugees due to frequent cross-border movement. The Aizawl district currently houses an estimated 3,000 Myanmar nationals.
According to the Mizoram Home Department, 32,419 Myanmar refugees are currently taking refuge in the state. However, this number fluctuates as some individuals periodically return to Myanmar and later come back due to continued unrest. The majority of these refugees fled from Myanmar’s Chin State following the military coup in February 2021.
In addition to Myanmar nationals, Mizoram is also sheltering 2,371 Bangladeshi refugees from the Chittagong Hill Tracts and 7,354 Zo ethnic people displaced from Manipur due to ongoing ethnic violence since May 2023. Authorities indicated that a similar identification drive for Bangladeshi nationals in Lawngtlai district could be considered later, pending instructions from the Centre.
Mizoram’s welcoming stance towards these groups is rooted in shared ethnic and cultural ties with the Chin, Bawm, and Kuki-Zo people, fostering a sense of solidarity and humanitarian support.
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