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Time of India
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Mizoram government trains officials for biometric enrolment of Myanmar and Bangladeshi refugees
Mizoram is training officials to gather biometric data of Myanmar and Bangladeshi refugees. This process will begin this month. The Home Department has allocated funds for this. Manipur has already collected refugee data. Thousands of Myanmar refugees are in Mizoram after the 2021 coup. Over two thousand Bangladeshi tribals also reside in Mizoram. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Mizoram government is providing training to district-level officials to collect biometrics and biographic data of Myanmar and Bangladeshi refugees and the process of recording this would start from this month, a home department official has of district-level officials on the ' Foreigners Identification Portal and Biometric Enrolment' for displaced persons from Myanmar and Bangladeshi nationals are almost completed in all 11 districts of Mizoram. According to the Mizoram Home Department official, Rs 38 lakh has been earmarked for the exercise, and the expenditure would be borne by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The MHA had earlier asked both the Manipur and Mizoram governments to capture biographic and biometric details of "illegal migrants" in the two states and complete the process at the a military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, there were around 35,000 refugees in Mizoram. Another 5,000 Myanmar refugees also took shelter in Manipur. The Manipur government has almost collected the biometric and demographic data of the refugees staying in the state. Over 2,370 Bangladeshi Bawm community tribals from Chittagong Hill Tracts are also staying in Mizoram for over two years after they fled their country due to ethnic troubles after the Bangladesh Army launched a crackdown on tribals. Over 4,650 people, including women and children, from Myanmar earlier this month fled to Mizoram following a series of armed clashes.


Time of India
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Mizoram decides to collect biometrics, biographic data of Myanmar refugees
Guwahati: The Mizoram government has decided to collect biometrics and biographic data of Myanmar refugees taking shelter in the northeastern state after a military coup in the neighboring country in February 2021. Earlier, Manipur had carried out this exercise. A Mizoram Home Department official, who did not want to be named, told ET, 'Towards the end of July, the work of collecting biometric and demographic data of around 35,000 Myanmar refugees would start. The biometric exercise would be conducted using the Foreigner Identification Portal and would be carried out in all 11 districts of the state." He added, 'Around Rs 38 lakh was earmarked for the exercise, and the expenditure would be borne by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Training of the government staff to conduct the exercise has almost been completed in all the districts." The MHA had earlier asked both the Manipur and Mizoram governments to capture biographic and biometric details of "illegal migrants" in the two states and complete the process at the earliest. Both northeastern states had earlier agreed to undertake the collection of biometrics and biographic data of Myanmar nationals. The former Mizo National Front government in Mizoram was reluctant to collect the biometrics and biographic data of Myanmar refugees. The incumbent Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) government, led by Chief Minister Lalduhoma, had earlier agreed to conduct the exercise. After a military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, refugees, including women and children from the neighboring country, started coming to Mizoram and Manipur seeking shelter in the two Indian states, and now their numbers in Mizoram have increased to around 35,000. According to Home Department officials, the maximum number of Myanmar refugees are currently taking shelter in Champhai district. Myanmar's Chin state shares mountainous borders with six Mizoram districts—Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip. Recently, a fresh batch of refugees has started coming since July 2. Gun battles have erupted between the Chin National Defence Force and the Chinland Defence Force-Hualngoram over control of Chin state in Myanmar. A senior official, who does not want to be named, said that around 3,000 to 4,000 refugees had come since the fighting started on July 2. 'They are being provided with food, water, and shelter.' Refugees are coming to Zokhawthar and Saikhumphai Village, bordering Myanmar in Champhai district.