Aizawl: The Mizoram government is preparing to launch a comprehensive biometric enrollment drive for over 32,000 refugees from Myanmar currently residing in the state, a senior official said on Wednesday.
According to Andrew H. Vanlaldika, State Additional Home Secretary, the process—aimed at collecting both biometric and demographic information—will be conducted across all eleven districts this month.
Training sessions for government officials have already been completed by district administrations, and essential equipment such as computers and webcams will be provided to ensure smooth implementation.
“The enrollment will commence this month depending on each district’s preparedness,” Vanlaldika said.
“The entire process will be carried out online, using the Foreigner Identification Portal developed by the National Informatics Centre.”
He emphasized that the initiative is solely for identification purposes and should not be misconstrued as a precursor to deportation.
“This is purely an identification exercise. It does not imply deportation of the Myanmar nationals,” he clarified.
Officials say a similar process may be extended in the future to Bangladeshi nationals staying in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district, pending directions from the Centre.
Aizawl Deputy Commissioner Lalhriatpuia confirmed that preparations in the district are in progress.
However, he acknowledged logistical challenges, noting the number of refugees often changes due to frequent cross-border movement.
As of now, around 3,000 Myanmar refugees are registered in Aizawl district.
The latest figures from the state home department show 32,419 Myanmar nationals are taking shelter in Mizoram.
These numbers, however, fluctuate as many refugees temporarily return to Myanmar before coming back.
In addition, 2,371 Bangladeshi nationals from the Chittagong Hill Tracts are also residing in the state, along with 7,354 displaced Kuki-Zo people from Manipur who fled following ethnic violence in May 2023.
The majority of the Myanmar refugees are from Chin state and arrived in Mizoram after the military coup in February 2021.
The Bangladeshi refugees—mostly from the Bawm tribe—crossed over during a 2022 military crackdown in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
All three groups—the Chin, Bawm, and Kuki-Zo—share close ethnic and cultural ties with the Mizos.
