Mizoram Nears Completion of Biometric Enrolment for Myanmar Refugees
Image Source: Internet
Mizoram has made significant progress in enrolling the biometric details of over 31,000 Myanmar refugees sheltered across the state. As of now, 58.15% of the refugees have undergone biometric and biographic data collection, officials said. The enrolment process, which began in July following a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs, is being carried out using the Foreigners Identification Portal and Biometric Enrolment system. The data collection is crucial to track the refugees and provide them with necessary aid. According to officials, a total of 31,214 people from Myanmar are currently living in various parts of Mizoram. The highest number of refugees is sheltered in Champhai district, which shares a border with Myanmar. Besides Myanmar nationals, 2,354 refugees from Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts have taken shelter mainly in Lawngtlai district and adjoining Lunglei district. The process, however, has faced several challenges, including technical glitches and poor internet connectivity in remote villages. Officials have also found it difficult to collect data from refugees living with relatives or friends, as opposed to those residing in relief camps. The Myanmar nationals, mostly from Chin state, fled to Mizoram following a military coup in 2021, while the asylum seekers belonging to the Bawm tribe from Chittagong Hill Tracts came to the state after a military offensive against an ethnic insurgent group in 2022. The Chins in Myanmar and the Bawm tribe of Bangladesh share close ethnic ties with the Mizos.
