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Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Technical snag delays biometric enrolment of refugees
1 2 Aizawl: Biometric enrolment of refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh using 'Foreigners Identification Portal & Biometric Enrolment' (FIP&BE) has been proceeding at snail's pace in all the 11 districts of Mizoram with biometric data of only 1,947 refugees being collected till Friday evening, state home department officials said on Saturday. The biometric enrolment exercise has commenced from last week of July with the first district beginning on July 28 and majority of the districts commencing on July 30 and July 31. There are around 32,000 refugees from Myanmar and nearly 3,000 refugees from Bangladesh taking shelter in the state. While Myanmar refugees are taking refuge in all the 11 districts, refugees from Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh are taking shelter mainly in Lawngtlai district of southern Mizoram bordering both Myanmar and Bangladesh, adjoining Lunglei district as well as Thenzawl town of central Mizoram's Serchhip district. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
03-08-2025
- General
- Time of India
‘Biometric enrolment of refugees underway across all Mizoram dists'
Aizawl: All 11 districts in Mizoram have started biometric enrolment of over 32,000 refugees from Myanmar and more than 2,000 refugees from Bangladesh, state home department officials said on Sunday. Officials in Champhai district, which hosts the largest number of Myanmar refugees (13,586), had reported technical snags when the exercise began on Thursday, but expressed optimism that the process will run smoothly, starting from Monday. In Lawngtlai district, which borders both Myanmar and Bangladesh, biometric data collection began on Thursday at Chanmari relief camp. Officials reported collection of biometric data from 152 refugees (45 males, 58 females, and 49 children). Lawngtlai hosts the second largest number of refugees from Myanmar and over 2,000 from Bangladesh. Adjoining Siaha district, hosting the third largest number of refugees from Myanmar, also started the process on Friday and will continue this week. Lawngtlai and central Mizoram's Serchhip district are the only two districts providing shelter to refugees from both Myanmar and Bangladesh. Serchhip's Thenzawl town is currently home to 266 refugees from Bangladesh. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Most Beautiful Female Athletes Right Now Undo by Taboola by Taboola State home department officials said although the ministry of home affairs (MHA) is slated to bear all expenses for biometric enrolment, using the 'Foreigners Identification Portal & Biometric Enrolment' (FIP&BE), the state govt has allocated Rs 38 lakh as initial expenditure. This was done after the MHA instructed the state govt to begin the process by July. According to the latest govt records, a total of 32,504 displaced people from Myanmar are currently in Mizoram. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Champhai to launch biometric enrolment of refugees tomorrow
Imphal: Champhai district administration, which borders Myanmar and hosts the largest number of Myanmar refugees in Mizoram , will commence biometric enrolment of refugees from Thursday. The decision was formalised at a meeting chaired by deputy commissioner Mohammad Aaquib on Tuesday. Champhai currently shelters 13,586 refugees, the highest among Mizoram's 11 districts. The enrolment, using the 'Foreigners Identification Portal & Biometric Enrolment' (FIP&BE), will begin in Vengthlang, Kanan Veng, and Dinthar Veng neighbourhoods of Champhai town. The state home department has supplied all necessary equipment, and multiple teams are being formed from the offices of the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police to cover localities and villages. These teams will undergo training and receive area-specific refugee data on Wednesday. Village councils are expected to submit updated refugee numbers from their jurisdictions. Aaquib expressed confidence in the teams' ability to carry out the enrolment smoothly and appealed to village councils and civil society organisations — including the Young Mizo Association (YMA) and the Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP) — for cooperation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You To Read in 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The meeting was also attended by additional DC K Zorammuana, SDO (Sadar) Ngulzathuama, additional SP Victor Zothansanga, and YMA leaders. As per latest records, Mizoram hosts 32,504 refugees from Myanmar, with Lawngtlai and Siaha districts following Champhai in refugee numbers. Meanwhile, Lunglei district, which shelters 1,991 Myanmar refugees, is also preparing for biometric enrolment by the end of July, according to DC Navneet Mann. The exercise was deferred during the previous Mizo National Front government in 2023 due to the state assembly elections. It was further delayed after the state and parliamentary polls due to a mismatch in format provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) — intended for illegal migrants marked for deportation, not displaced refugees.
Hindustan Times
28-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
BSF troops at B'desh border get 5,000 body cameras to record deportations
The Border Security Force (BSF) is equipping its personnel at the India-Bangladesh border with around 5,000 body worn cameras (BWCs) to record arrests and pushback of illegal immigrants, smugglers' activities, and incidents of disagreement or attacks on its patrolling units, so that the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) cannot dispute them later, people familiar with the development said on Sunday. BSF troops at B'desh border get 5,000 body cameras to record deportations As many as 2,500 BWCs — small battery-powered digital video cameras with night-recording capability that BSF jawans will be outfitted to their uniform shirts or winter jackets and manually start recording — have already been handed over while 2,500 more will be sent in coming weeks, officers said. 'A decision to use body-worn cameras was taken particularly in the wake of increasing attacks by drug smugglers or anti-national elements and skirmishes with human traffickers or individuals looking to enter India illegally who then allege use of excess force by BSF. They will help improve officers' safety, having electronic evidence, record stop and frisk procedures of patrolling units, and help reduce complaints by individuals and BGB at the border,' said an officer. The border guarding force's data seen by HT suggests that there were 77 attacks on BSF personnel at the Indo-Bangladesh border in 2024, while 35 such attacks have been recorded till June 30 this year. Besides, increasing incidents of unauthorised persons trying to enter India or leave for Bangladesh in the last couple of years have also been recorded. For instance, BSF apprehended 2,425 incoming and 1,049 outcoming individuals at the Indo-Bangladesh border in 2024, a number which has been recorded at - 1,372 (incoming) and 3,536 (outgoing) between January 1 and July 15 this year. Police and border control agencies in several countries including the US Customs and Border Patrol, the UK's Metropolitan Police, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of Canada, German and France police among others use BWCs in their daily operations. Other than BWCs, to create a robust data of illegal immigrants and their instant verification, BSF has also installed at its sensitive posts 'biometrics authentication systems' - which are linked with the Foreigners Identification Portal (FIP) of the Bureau of Immigration (BoI), a third officer cited above said. 'This is aimed at keeping records of illegal immigrants for future, so that they don't make another attempt (s),' he said. Over 2,500 illegal Bangladeshi nationals have been deported in the last few months via various crossings at the Indo-Bangladesh border, said the third officer. During the last director generals (DGs) level talks between BSF and BGB in Delhi from February 17-20 this year, BSF had pointed out to the other side the assaults or abuse on BSF personnel and Indian civilians by Bangladesh based criminals or miscreants. Both sides agreed to undertake combined efforts to bring down such incidents to absolute minimum by increasing coordinated patrols especially during late hours of nights to early morning in vulnerable areas and educating the border population regarding the sanctity of the international border, according to a statement issued by BSF in February. It was also agreed that both BSF and BGB will pursue and share real-time information and investigation reports of traffickers, and remain extra vigilant to curb such crimes, and help victims of human trafficking and facilitate their rescue and fastest rehabilitation as per law of the land. 'The BWCs are a precautionary measure in that direction and to avoid any untoward incident (s),' he said. India shares a 4,096 kms long border with Bangladesh, which touches West Bengal (2216.7 km), Assam (263 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Tripura (856 km) and Mizoram (318) km). The entire stretch consists of plains, riverine belts, hills and jungles; is heavily populated and is cultivated right up to the border. There are 1,113 Border Out Posts (BOPs) of the BSF on the entire border to deter trans-border criminals, infiltrators and the hostile elements from indulging in the activities of intrusion/ encroachment and border violations. BSF employs round the clock surveillance and patrolling and monitoring through observation posts, besides using border floodlighting, water crafts/boats and floating Border Out Posts (BOPs) for domination of riverine areas. A major challenge, according to the first officer, at this border is 'its terrain'. 'Construction of fencing in certain stretches on this border due to riverine or low lying areas, habitations close to the border, and floods during monsoons makes it difficult to fence the entire border. Out of 4,096 kms long border, only 3,196 kms is fenced. The over 850 km long border is not feasible to be fenced,' he said.
Time of India
27-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Lunglei fully prepared to start biometric enrolment of Myanmar refugees: Official
1 2 Aizawl: South Mizoram's Lunglei district administration is all set to commence biometric enrolment of refugees from Myanmar taking shelter in the district from this week, a senior district official said on Sunday. The official said the ministry of home affairs (MHA) has been clearing all the test data entries in the Foreigners Identification Portal (FIP) for the commencement of the actual entry of biometric data. "The MHA has given instructions not to make any entry of data and also to hold everything until further orders. The MHA officials also said information and instructions would be given as to how soon the collection of data can begin," he said. The official said the Lunglei district administration is now fully prepared to go ahead before the end of July, if and when the MHA clears the test data entries in the FIP. Mizoram home secretary Vanlalmawia told TOI that Rs 38 lakh has been allocated by the state govt as initial expenses for the collection of biometric data of the refugees that is slated to begin later this month. The entire expenditure for the exercise will be borne by the MHA. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Launch at Godrej Sector 12 | Luxurious 3 BHK + S & 4 BHK Homes @₹2.90 Cr* Godrej Majesty Learn More Undo But as the Centre wants to expedite the process, the initial expenses will be taken up from the state's fund, with more expenditure to be incurred when the process is finally picked up. For this task, computer, web cameras and other electronics equipment will be required to be procured, officials said, and the procurement process has already been undertaken. The state govt is now fully prepared to go ahead with the biometric enrolment of Myanmar nationals taking shelter in the state. 'Foreigners Identification Portal & Biometric Enrolment' (FIP&BE) will be used in the biometric enrolment process, Vanlalmawia said. According to the latest govt record, there are 32,504 Myanmar displaced people in Mizoram. Champhai, Lawngtlai and Siaha districts host the maximum number of refugees from Myanmar. According to the latest figure of district police, there are 1,991 refugees from Myanmar taking shelter in Lunglei district during early July.
