Aizawl: More than 1,900 refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh have been enrolled in Mizoram’s ongoing biometric registration exercise, officials said on Monday.
The state launched the drive on July 28 in select districts, expanding it across all 11 districts by July 31.
It aims to cover over 32,000 Myanmar nationals and nearly 3,000 Bangladeshis who have taken shelter in the state.
As of Friday, biometric and demographic data for 1,947 refugees had been recorded.
Officials said progress has been slow due to technical glitches and poor internet connectivity, particularly in remote areas.
Refugees in relief camps are easier to register, but those living in rented homes or with relatives are harder to locate.
Children studying away from their parents’ current shelters have also added logistical challenges.
Champhai district, which hosts the highest number of Myanmar refugees at 13,586, began enrolment on July 31 but registered only seven people initially because of faulty devices.
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New equipment has since been brought in from Aizawl, and officials expect the process to speed up this week.
According to the state home department, 32,504 Myanmar nationals—mostly from Chin state—are currently in Mizoram.
They fled after the February 2021 military coup in Myanmar. Another 2,329 Bangladeshis, primarily from the Bawm tribe of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, arrived after a military offensive in 2022.
Both groups share close ethnic ties with the Mizos.
