Aizawl: Mizoram has initiated a biometric enrollment drive for over 34,000 refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh. The process is aimed at identifying the displaced individuals.
The Serchhip and Lunglei administrations began the enrolment drive in their respective districts on July 30, while East Mizoram‘s Champhai district authorities started the collection of biometric and demographic details of Myanmar refugees on July 31.
Biometric enrolment was conducted for Myanmar refugees who took shelter in Chanmari locality in Serchhip town, Serchhip district’s Nodal Officer for Foreigners Identification Portal and Biometric Enrolment, Vanthangpuia, told a news agency.
Sixteen people were enrolled in the Foreigner Identification Portal during the exercise held at Chanmari village council house.
The enrolment drive will resume on August 4 and is scheduled to be completed by September 22 within the Serchhip district, the official said.
The exercise will be carried out twice a week. “Separate enrolment phases will be arranged for people who are out of town for important work or for students who study elsewhere,” he added.
The official explained that the enrolment is simply a way to identify refugees and is not a precursor to deportation.
Serchhip currently hosts 647 Myanmarese nationals, including 299 children, across 30 villages and localities. Besides, 266 Bangladeshis, including 47 children, also took shelter in Thenzawl town in Serchhip district.
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Zoramdini, Lunglei District Additional Deputy Commissioner, said that the local administration also began the collection of biometric and demographic details of 1,991 Myanmarese and 73 Bangladeshi refugees taking shelter in the southern district of Mizoram.
