Mizoram set to defy Centre’s order: ‘Won’t collect biometric data of Myanmar refugees’

With just a few months to go for the Assembly elections in the state, the Mizoram government has said it does not intend to follow the central government’s order to collect biometric and biographic details of Myanmar refugees residing in the state.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs directed the governments of both Mizoram and Manipur, states adjoining the Myanmar border, to collect the biometric and biographic details of “illegal immigrants” in April. In June. The Centre instructed the states to complete their campaigns by the end of September as part of an initiated process.

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Despite the upcoming polls in Mizoram later this year, the state appears to have ignored the central government’s order to keep its borders closed and has allegedly opened its doors to refugees fleeing the Army crackdown in Myanmar. The Mizo National Front (MNF) government, led by Zoramthanga, has declared that they will not collect the biometric data of refugees, and the Manipur government has supported this decision.

Manipur began the process on July 29 with assistance from officials of the National Crime Records Bureau. However, Chief Minister Biren Singh recently expressed the need to extend the timeline by a year due to ongoing disputes, causing delays.

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On the other hand, Mizoram’s Minister of Information and Public Relations, Lalruatkima, stated that the state has not collected biometric data from any immigrants, citing humanitarian reasons. He estimated that around 60,000 refugees from Myanmar and the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh have sought shelter in Mizoram.

The Chin-Kuki tribes in the Chittagong Hill Tracts share a common ethnicity with the Mizos, much like the Chin state in Myanmar, which shares a 510 km border with Mizoram. Since the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, refugees have been entering Mizoram. However, the central government has consistently emphasized that state governments do not have the authority to grant “refugee” status to any “foreigner” and has urged Mizoram to halt the influx.

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Regarding the shared ethnicity with refugees, Lalruatkima explained that the state government would not collect biometric data because the Centre would “push them out” after obtaining it. He emphasized the familial ties between the refugees and the Mizos, stemming from borders drawn during the British era, and their need for shelter during the military coup in Myanmar.

The Ministers have framed this issue as a political one, acknowledging its potential significance in the upcoming election polls, and believe it cannot be resolved until after the elections.

Notably, the BJP is an ally of the MNF-led government in the 40-member Assembly. Over the past few years, Zoramthanga has built a reputation as a leader not only of the Mizos but also of the broader Kuki-Chin community. In addition to welcoming refugees from Myanmar, his government has opened its doors to the Kukis who are fleeing violence in Manipur, with their estimated numbers exceeding 12,000.