Biometric enrolment of Myanmar and Bangladesh refugees continues in Mizoram amid challenges

United News of India

4 days ago

Aizawl, Aug 17 (UNI) Mizoram continues its biometric enrolment process for refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh, with officials in 11 districts having successfully enrolled 3,073 refugees so far.
Despite facing a range of challenges—including technical difficulties and poor internet connectivity in remote areas—officials have been pressing ahead with the enrolment under the 'Foreigners Identification Portal & Biometric Enrolment' (FIP&BE) system, though progress has been slow.
While collecting data from refugees in designated relief camps has proven relatively straightforward, the task is far more complicated for those living in private homes, with relatives, or in rented accommodations. Officials have stressed the importance of assistance from local village councils and civil society leaders to help identify and enrol these refugees.
A representative from Lawngtlai district in southern Mizoram noted that even in the relief camps, the enrolment process has been hindered by the movement of children who have been sent to continue their education in district headquarters and even in Aizawl, the state capital. These children have had to be temporarily excluded from the data collection, further complicating the process.
The biometric process not only collects fingerprints and other biometric data but also includes gathering biographical details such as names, addresses, and employment history both in their home countries and within Mizoram. Although temporary identity cards have already been issued to many refugees, officials are re-enrolling them to verify their current status and ensure accurate records.
In Champhai district, which borders Myanmar and has the highest number of refugees, officials reported that 177 refugees have been enrolled so far. Despite over 13,500 refugees being sheltered in the district, progress has been hampered by technical issues with the fingerprint collection machines. The enrolment process only resumed on August 9 after the state home department provided two new machines, which allowed officials to restart the data collection.
According to official figures, over 32,000 refugees from Myanmar and more than 2,400 from Bangladesh are currently residing in Mizoram. While Myanmar refugees are scattered across all 11 districts, the majority of the refugees from Bangladesh—mostly from the Chittagong Hill Tracts—are concentrated in southern Mizoram, particularly in Lawngtlai district. Smaller groups can also be found in Lunglei district and in Thenzawl town of Serchhip district in central Mizoram.
In Lawngtlai district alone, more than 2,000 refugees from Bangladesh have found shelter, with additional refugees living in Thenzawl (266 people) and Khawmawi village in Lunglei district (63 people). UNI ZS SSP