Aizawl: Mizoram is making preparations to begin biometric registration of more than 32,000 individuals who have fled conflict in Myanmar and are currently taking refuge in the state, according to a PTI report.
The exercise, which will include the collection of both biometric and demographic details, is expected to be carried out across all eleven districts of Mizoram within this month. A senior government official told PTI that the process is being coordinated by the state’s Home Department in consultation with district administrations.
Training sessions for local officials have already been conducted, and the required equipment including computers, webcams, and other enrollment tools, is being distributed, the official added.
The data collection will be done using the Foreigner Identification Portal developed by the National Informatics Centre. While the exact start date will depend on local logistics, authorities expect the enrollment to begin shortly in districts such as Aizawl.
The official emphasised that the initiative is strictly for identification purposes and not connected to any plans of deportation. “This process should not be misinterpreted as a move to repatriate the refugees,” he was quoted as saying.
The refugee population, which has fluctuated due to frequent cross-border movement, currently stands at 32,419, according to figures from the state Home Department. Most of the refugees are from Myanmar’s Chin State and arrived after the 2021 military coup.
In addition, Mizoram is also hosting 2,371 refugees from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts and over 7,000 Kuki-Zo people displaced from Manipur following ethnic violence since May 2023. Authorities have indicated that a similar biometric exercise could be extended to Bangladeshi nationals in Lawngtlai district, pending instructions from the Centre.
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