Aizawl: The Mizoram government is taking steps to centralize the management of its increasing refugee population by relocating them to designated shelters.
This move aims to streamline humanitarian assistance and ensure better control over the influx of refugees from Myanmar, Manipur, and Bangladesh.
Lalmuanpuia Punte, the political adviser to the Chief Minister, chaired a meeting on Thursday with officials from Lawngtlai district to discuss the refugee situation. He stressed the importance of establishing clear guidelines to prevent refugees from settling in unauthorized areas, making it easier for the government to provide necessary support.
The government is particularly focused on relocating approximately 2,000 Bangladeshi refugees from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), who are currently dispersed across various villages in Lawngtlai district. Plans are underway to move them to four designated villages within the district.
Lawngtlai, situated on the border with Myanmar and Bangladesh, has become a major hub for refugees from these countries, as well as internally displaced people from Manipur. The Young Mizo Association (YMA) has urged the government to implement a more organized approach to manage the entire refugee population, which now exceeds 40,000 individuals.
The Mizoram government’s decision to establish centralized shelters is a significant step towards providing better care and support to the growing number of refugees in the state.
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