Mizoram has completed 58.15 per cent of the biometric enrolment of more than 31,000 Myanmar refugees currently staying across all 11 districts of the state, a senior Home Department official said. The state also collected biometric and biographic details of 10.84 per cent of asylum seekers from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).
The enrolment exercise, which began in July following a Union Home Ministry directive, has been conducted through the Foreigners Identification Portal and the Biometric Enrolment system. According to officials, 31,214 people from Myanmar—mostly from Chin State—have taken shelter in Mizoram, with Champhai district accommodating the largest number.
The state is also hosting 2,354 refugees from Bangladesh’s CHT, most of whom are staying in Lawngtlai district, followed by Lunglei and Thenzawl town in Serchhip district. In addition, 6,953 internally displaced people from Manipur have taken refuge in various parts of the state.
Officials said biometric details of over 200 of the Bangladeshi refugees had been recorded so far. However, the process faced hurdles due to technical glitches, poor internet connectivity in remote areas and difficulties in identifying those living outside recognised relief camps.
They added that data collection was smoother in organised camps, while challenges arose when refugees lived with relatives, friends or in rented homes. The Myanmar nationals arrived in Mizoram after the February 2021 military coup, while members of the Bawm tribe from Bangladesh fled following a 2022 military operation against an ethnic insurgent group. Both communities share close ethnic ties with the Mizos, which has shaped the state’s humanitarian approach.
