Mizoram Set to Launch Biometric Registration for Over 32,000 Myanmar Refugees
"Mizoram's Home Department, in collaboration with all eleven district administrations, is set to begin biometric registration of Myanmar refugees, with trained officials and essential infrastructure now in place across the state."
NETB24
Aizawl, July 4, 2025:
The Mizoram government is gearing up to start biometric registration of over 32,000 Myanmar nationals who have taken refuge in the state following the 2021 military coup in their home country. The initiative aims to document all displaced persons currently residing in various parts of Mizoram.
According to senior officials, the Home Department is coordinating the effort in close collaboration with all eleven district administrations. Training programs for local officials have already been completed, and the necessary infrastructure—computers, biometric scanners, webcams, and data-entry systems—is being distributed across the state.
The process will include both biometric and demographic data collection using the Foreigner Identification Portal, a platform developed by the National Informatics Centre. The initiative is expected to begin shortly in districts like Aizawl, depending on logistical readiness.
Officials have clarified that this registration drive is strictly for identification and administrative purposes and is not linked to any deportation or repatriation efforts. “This is not a step toward sending them back. It’s about creating an accurate record,” one official stated.
As per the Mizoram Home Department, there are currently 32,419 refugees from Myanmar, most of whom belong to the Chin ethnic group. Their movement into Mizoram surged after Myanmar’s 2021 military takeover and the subsequent violence.
In addition to Myanmar nationals, Mizoram is also hosting 2,371 refugees from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts and over 7,000 Kuki-Zo people displaced from ethnic clashes in Manipur since May 2023. Officials said a similar registration process may later be extended to the Bangladeshi refugees, particularly in Lawngtlai district, pending guidance from the central government.
The state continues to manage its humanitarian response while balancing local concerns and maintaining coordination with central authorities.
