Mizoram has completed 58.15 per cent of the biometric enrolment of more than 31,000 Myanmar refugees currently living across all 11 districts of the state. The enrolment drive, which began in July, is part of a larger effort directed by the Ministry of Home Affairs to register refugees using the Foreigners Identification Portal and the Biometric Enrolment System.
Most of the Myanmar refugees, numbering 31,214, are from Chin State and are sheltered in various districts, with Champhai district hosting the largest number. The state is also sheltering 2,354 refugees from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), mainly from the Bawm community, who primarily reside in Lawngtlai, Lunglei, and Thenzawl towns in Serchhip district. Additionally, 6,953 internally displaced people from Manipur are currently living in Mizoram.
Officials said that biometric and biographic details of over 200 Bangladeshi refugees, or 10.84 per cent of the total, have been collected so far. The process, however, has faced several hurdles. Technical glitches, slow or absent internet connections in remote villages, and the difficulty of locating refugees living outside formal relief camps have slowed progress. “While it is easier to collect data in organised camps, challenges arise when refugees stay with relatives, friends, or in rented homes,” the official noted. 
The Myanmar refugees fled their country following the military coup in February 2021, while the Bawm community from Bangladesh sought refuge after a military operation targeting an ethnic insurgent group in 2022. Both communities share close ethnic and cultural ties with the Mizos, which has played a key role in Mizoram’s humanitarian response.
