62.95% of Myanmar refugees registered in Mizoram’s biometric drive

Aizawl, Nov 30: Mizoram has completed nearly two-third of the biometric enrolment for refugees from Myanmar, with the State Home Department reporting that 62.95 per cent of those taking shelter in the State have now been registered through the Foreigner Identification Portal. The enrolment drive, launched in late July, is being carried out across all 11 districts.

Home Department officials said the number of Myanmar nationals currently taking refuge in Mizoram has seen a marginal increase over the past week, rising from 30,815 to 30,908. The biometric data of 19,458 individuals have been collected so far.

Champhai district bordering Myanmar, has the highest concentration of refugees over 13,500, where the enrolment rate is below 43 per cent. Officials attributed the delay to initial technical hiccups as well as the sheer volume of refugee households requiring registration.

Lawngtlai district, home to the second-largest refugee population of around 6,000, has recorded a 49.71 per cent

completion rate. In contrast, Aizawl district has exceeded its enrolment target, completing biometric registration for 4,153 refugees. Khawzawl district reported the next highest coverage, having enrolled 94.19 per cent of 310 refugees from Myanmar.

Officials stated that Mizoram is currently hosting over 33,000 displaced people from Myanmar and Bangladesh. In addition, 6,953 internally displaced persons from neighbouring Manipur are staying in the State.

Mizoram shares international borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, and inter-State boundary with Manipur.

Correspondent