Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced on Sunday that 26 Myanmarese nationals, who had previously entered India through the state’s border, were deported back to Myanmar. Singh, who also holds the Home portfolio, posted on X, “A group of 26 Myanmarese nationals who entered India through Manipur’s porous border were deported to their home country today. The government of Manipur reaffirms its commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to those fleeing war, ensuring their care and dignified departure.”
“However, the state maintains a firm stance against allowing illegal migrants to stay back in Manipur,” he added.
A senior official from the Manipur Home Department confirmed that the Myanmarese nationals were handed over to Myanmar authorities by the Manipur Police and central forces stationed in the border trading town of Moreh, NDTV reported.
Since March 8 last year, a total of 141 Myanmarese nationals, including women and children, have been deported to Myanmar in four separate phases, in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and central security forces.
Following Myanmar’s military coup in February 2021, around 40,000 people, including women, children, and the elderly, sought refuge in 11 districts of Mizoram. They are currently residing in over a hundred relief camps across six districts, with several thousand more staying with relatives, friends, or in rented accommodations, according to a Mizoram Home Department official.
In Manipur’s border districts, more than 6,000 Myanmarese nationals took shelter. Both Mizoram and Manipur share extensive unfenced borders with Myanmar, 518 km and 400 km long, respectively. In 2022, the Union Home Ministry instructed both state governments to record biometric and biographic data of all Myanmar refugees.