Tripura Remains Silent as Mizoram Begins Biometric Registration of Over 34,000 Refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh

Aizawl | August 1, 2025 — While Tripura, a frontline border state facing increasing cross-border migration, remains silent on the refugee issue, neighboring Mizoram has taken concrete steps by launching biometric registration for over 34,000 refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Despite Tripura's strategic location and growing concerns about undocumented migrants entering through the porous borders, the Tripura state government has yet to announce any formal response or policy. This silence comes at a time when Mizoram has begun collecting biometric and demographic data across three key districts — Serchhip, Lunglei, and Champhai — as part of a comprehensive refugee registration drive set to continue until September 2025.

In Serchhip, 16 Myanmar nationals were registered in the first session. The process will be conducted twice a week, with future provisions for those who miss earlier phases.

The biometric drive involves the collection of fingerprints, iris scans, and demographic details, supported by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Officials in Mizoram have clarified that the purpose is to identify and organize refugee data, not to harass or deport individuals.

Mizoram has received widespread recognition for its humane treatment of ethnic Chin and Rohingya communities, many of whom are culturally linked to the Mizo people. In contrast, concerns are growing in Tripura over lack of transparency and political inaction in handling cross-border population shifts.

As refugee numbers rise along the northeastern border, experts say both Tripura and Mizoram need a coordinated, transparent, and human rights–sensitive approach. For now, however, Mizoram is leading the way — while Tripura watches in silence.

By Lalsangzuali