Mizoram yet to collect biometric data of refugees residing in state, says minister

Mizoram Home Minister K Sapdanga, on August 21 said that the state government is yet to collect biometric data of refugees from neighbouring countries taking shelter in the state. 

Responding to a query raised by opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) MLA Robert Romawia Royte, the Mizoram minister said that the matter is being discussed with the Centre, further adding, "The state government is currently in talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs over the collection of biometric data of the refugees."

Sapdanga said that as of August 13, 33,724 Myanmarese nationals and 2,014 Zo ethnic people from Bangladesh took shelter in the state as per the record of state home department.

Furthermore, he said that 7,999 internally displaced people from Manipur also took refuge in the state

Officials also said that the Myanmarese people, mostly from the Chin state who share ethnic ties with the Mizo people have been taking shelter in Mizoram since the military takeover in February 2021, while the Bawm people, one of the Mizo tribes from Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) migrated to the northeastern state in November 2022.

The Kuki-Zo people from Manipur, who also share ethnic ties with Mizos, have been taking shelter in Mizoram since May 2023 due to ethnic violence in neighbouring Manipur, they said.

Earlier, Chief Minister Lalduhoma had said that biometric enrollment portal has been in place for collection of the data and it will be utilised in near future.

He had also said that the biometric enrollment portal was prepared in accordance with the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home minister Amit Shah.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs, had in April 2023 directed the governments of both Mizoram and Manipur, which share borders with Myanmar, to capture the biometric and biographic details of "illegal immigrants" in their states. In June, it directed the states that the campaign be completed by the end of September and directed both to prepare a plan and initiate the process.

The Council of Ministers in a meeting held in September, 2023 decided not to conduct biometric and biographic enrollment for refugees citing it is not advisable to undertake biometric and biographic preparation due to the state assembly polls to be held in November that year.
(With PTI inputs)