Mizoram: Biometric enrolment of Myanmar refugees 99.9% done, 33 left

Mizoram has nearly finished collecting biometric data of Myanmar refugees sheltering in the state, with only 33 people left to be enrolled, state home department officials told The Times of India on Sunday.

Of the 29,792 Myanmar nationals taking shelter in Mizoram, the biometric details of 29,763 have been recorded, which works out to about 99.9% coverage, the officials said.

Where enrolment is pending

The pending cases are spread across three of Mizoram's 11 districts: 30 in Lawngtlai in the south, two in Lunglei and one in Aizawl. The exercise has been completed in the other eight districts.

According to the officials, enrolment had to be reopened in the three districts because more refugees crossed into Mizoram from Myanmar after the initial round. Movement of refugees back and forth across the border repeatedly delayed the process.

Delays and staff shortages

The enrolment began in late July last year using an online registration system for foreigners developed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Officials said the work had gone smoothly despite technical difficulties, until the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and preparations for Census 2027 pulled the same staff onto other duties.

Biometric enrolment of more than 2,000 refugees from Bangladesh who are sheltering in Mizoram was completed earlier this year, the officials said.

Census, but not citizenship

The officials said Myanmar and Bangladeshi refugees in Mizoram would be counted in Census 2027, but would not be listed as citizens of India.

Most of the Myanmar nationals in Mizoram fled after the military coup in February 2021 and the fighting that followed, particularly in Chin State, whose people share close ethnic ties with the Mizos. The Bangladeshi group is largely made up of Bawm people from the Chittagong Hill Tracts who arrived from late 2022.

Officials expect the remaining enrolment to be completed soon.