Mizoram is preparing to launch a comprehensive biometric identification drive for thousands of refugees from Myanmar who have sought shelter in the state since the 2021 military coup in the neighbouring country.
The exercise, to be conducted across all eleven districts, aims to digitally record the biometric and demographic data of more than 32,000 Myanmar nationals currently residing in Mizoram.
State Additional Home Secretary Andrew H. Vanlaldika confirmed that enrolment would begin this month, with the timing of commencement depending on the convenience of respective district administrations. “We have held training for officials for this purpose. The enrolment will be done online,” he said.
Officials involved in the process will be equipped with computers, webcams and other essential gear to ensure smooth registration. The system will operate through the Foreigner Identification Portal, developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
Clarifying the intent of the exercise, Vanlaldika stated, “The biometric enrolment is specifically meant for the identification of Myanmar refugees and does not connote deportation to their country.”
He also noted that a similar registration may be undertaken in the near future for Bangladeshi nationals currently residing in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district, pending instructions from the Union government.
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Aizawl Deputy Commissioner Lalhriatpuia said the enrolment process would soon begin in his district, which is home to around 3,000 Myanmar refugees. He, however, acknowledged logistical challenges due to the transient nature of the refugee population. “The number of Myanmar refugees is not static due to their frequent movement to and from the neighbouring country,” he said.
Figures from the State Home Department indicate that 32,419 Myanmar nationals are currently housed across Mizoram’s districts, though daily movement across the border causes frequent fluctuations. Most of these individuals are from Myanmar’s Chin state, which shares deep ethnic ties with the Mizo community.
In addition to the Myanmar refugees, Mizoram is also sheltering 2,371 Bangladeshi nationals from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and 7,354 Zo ethnic people from Manipur, who were displaced by ethnic violence since May 2023.
The refugees from Myanmar arrived in waves following the military coup in February 2021. Similarly, the Bangladeshi nationals entered in 2022 following a military operation targeting insurgents in the CHT region.
The Chins of Myanmar, the Bawm tribe from Bangladesh and the Kuki-Zo communities of Manipur all share cultural and ethnic bonds with the Mizo people, contributing to Mizoram’s readiness to provide them shelter.
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