The Mizoram government has completed 93 per cent of the biometric enrolment of refugees from Myanmar taking shelter in the state, Home Minister K Sapdanga informed the Assembly on Monday.
Addressing members in Aizawl, Sapdanga said deputy commissioners are supervising the final phase of the exercise. “Altogether, 93 per cent of the biometric enrolment for Myanmar refugees was completed as of February 5. We aim to complete the remaining work as quickly as possible,” he said.
According to the minister, Mizoram is currently hosting 38,059 people, including refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh as well as internally displaced persons (IDPs) from neighbouring Manipur.
Bangladesh nationals also being enrolled
The registration of asylum seekers from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is also under way. A senior home department official said 13 per cent of over 2,300 Bangladeshi nationals have been enrolled so far.
Among foreign nationals in the state, Myanmar citizens form the bulk, with more than 28,000 people spread across all 11 districts. Asylum seekers from Bangladesh are largely housed in Lawngtlai and Serchhip districts.
In addition, nearly 7,000 Kuki-Zo people displaced by ethnic violence in Manipur are currently sheltered in Mizoram, another official said.
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Enrolment drive and challenges
The biometric enrolment drive began in late July last year through the ‘Foreigners Identification Portal and Biometric Enrolment’ system following a directive from the Union home ministry.
Officials said district administrations faced hurdles including technical glitches and poor or non-existent internet connectivity in remote villages, particularly in Lawngtlai district.
While collecting data from refugees living in relief camps has been relatively easier, officials noted difficulties in reaching those staying with relatives, friends or in rented accommodation.
“Although the number of Myanmar refugees keeps changing due to frequent in and out migration, we are trying our best to ensure that no refugee is left. We also hope to complete the process soon,” the senior official said.
Mizoram shares a 510-km border with Myanmar to the east and a 318-km stretch with Bangladesh to the west. Myanmar nationals, mostly from Chin state, began fleeing to Mizoram after the military coup in February 2021.
Similarly, members of the ethnic Bawm community from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts entered the state following a military offensive against an insurgent group in 2022.
The Chin, Bawm and Zo-Kuki communities share close ethnic ties with the Mizos, a factor that has shaped the state’s humanitarian response.
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