The Mizoram government may soon start collecting biometric details of more than 33,000 refugees from Myanmar who are currently taking shelter in the state, a senior home department official said on Sunday, according to PTI reports.
The Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed Chief Minister Lalduhoma during a meeting in New Delhi last Friday that the Centre has completed rectification of a portal designed to collect biometric data of Myanmar refugees in Mizoram.
“A demonstration of the portal was held recently online and was recommended for approval by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Once the MHA gives its nod on the format and credentials, we will begin biometric enrollment,” the official told PTI on condition of anonymity.
The biometric enrollment process had been delayed mainly because the initial format provided by the MHA was unsuitable for refugees. “The earlier format demanded various mandatory credentials which the refugees cannot furnish. Moreover, the format was primarily designed for deportation of illegal immigrants and not for displaced Myanmar nationals who are given shelter on humanitarian grounds,” the official explained.
According to the government’s latest figures, Mizoram shelters 33,023 displaced people from Myanmar, including 12,361 children. Most of these displaced persons belong to the Chin community from Myanmar’s Chin state, sharing ethnic ties with the Mizos. They have been seeking refuge in Mizoram since the military takeover in Myanmar in February 2021.
The MHA had directed Mizoram and Manipur, states sharing borders with Myanmar, to capture biometric and biographic details of illegal immigrants in April 2023. The Centre set a deadline to complete this exercise by September 2023 and instructed the states to prepare plans and initiate the process.
Mizoram had started preparations by training officials and appointing nodal officers but later decided not to proceed with the biometric enrollment before the state assembly polls in November 2023, citing advisability concerns. The deadline was later extended to December 31, 2024. Mizoram’s delay was also due to requesting the MHA to modify the enrollment format.
Mizoram shares a 510-km-long border with Myanmar’s Chin state, a frontier vulnerable to refugee influx.
Meanwhile, an official from the Chief Minister’s Office said that during the meeting between Lalduhoma and Shah, the Union Home Minister agreed to reimburse over Rs 5.23 crore to Assam Rifles. This amount corresponds to the depreciated cost of buildings and infrastructure vacated by the paramilitary force in Aizawl.
On March 15, Shah attended a function marking the relocation of Assam Rifles establishments from Aizawl to a new camp at Zokhawsang, located about 15 km east of the state capital.
Union HM backs Mizoram’s proposal to raise Mizo Territorial Army battalion
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has supported the Mizoram government’s proposal to establish a Mizo Territorial Army (MTA) battalion to combat drug trafficking and other law and order challenges, officials said on Sunday, according to an IANS report.
During his recent visit to New Delhi, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma discussed several key issues with the Home Minister. An official said, “The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to the Home Minister for supporting his proposal to establish a Mizo Territorial Army battalion, describing it as a crucial initiative to provide employment for Mizo youths while contributing to national security.”
Shah also expressed his admiration for Mizoram, calling it “one of the most peaceful states in India.”
On another front, Shah assured his commitment to intervene and expedite the handover of Lengpui Airport to the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
The two leaders also reviewed the status of the Mizoram Maintenance of Household Registers Bill, 2019, which was passed by the Mizoram Legislative Assembly during the previous Mizo National Front (MNF) government but remains pending with the President of India.
Officials highlighted that the state government has been requesting Centre’s assistance for some time to raise the MTA, aiming to address manpower shortages in tackling the smuggling of drugs and contrabands imported illegally from Myanmar.
“The state government has manpower shortages to deal with narcotics trafficking from across the border. Proposals regarding the raising of the MTA have been submitted earlier to the Ministry of Home Affairs,” the official added.
Meanwhile, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has proposed establishing a zonal office in Mizoram. NCB Director General Anurag Garg recently met Chief Minister Lalduhoma, suggesting the need for a full-fledged zonal office staffed with officials familiar with the local language and ground realities.
Lalduhoma, a former IPS officer, discussed strategies with the NCB DG to curb drug trafficking and narcotics use among the youth. The Chief Minister reiterated that he had already requested the Ministry of Home Affairs to allow the formation of the MTA to strengthen vigilance along Mizoram’s unfenced borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Mizoram shares a 510 km border with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh. These unfenced borders are hotspots for smuggling various illicit goods, including highly addictive methamphetamine tablets, foreign cigarettes, areca nuts, arms and ammunition, and exotic animals and their parts. (With inputs from IANS)