MHA asks Manipur to finish collection of biometric details of illegal migrants by March 2024

IMPHAL — The Union Home Ministry (MHA) has asked the Manipur government to complete the process of capturing biographic and biometric details of illegal migrants, mostly Myanmar nationals, in the state by March next year, officials said here on Friday.

An official of Manipur Home Department said that the state government has already started the biometric process for the Myanmarese staying in Manipur though the state government has recently requested the MHA to extend the time by a year.

The MHA’s Director (Foreigners), Surender Kumar, in a letter to Manipur Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi said that the Ministry has considered the request of the Manipur government. “…. it has been decided to extend the time period till March 31, 2024.

Accordingly, the state government of Manipur is requested to take appropriate necessary action to complete the exercise within the revised time period,” said the MHA letter, accessed by IANS.

The Manipur government has started collecting the biographic and biometric details from July and a team from the National Crime Records Bureau, deputed by the MHA, assisted the state government at the Foreigners’ Detention Centre at Sajiwa in Imphal East district.

In July, around 720 more Myanmar nationals, including 301 children and 208 women, had entered Manipur’s Chandel district following the ongoing clashes between the Army and the civil forces in the neighbouring country.

The Myanmar nationals are now staying in seven villages — Lajang, Bonse, New Samtal, New Lajang, Yangnomphai, Yangnomphai Saw Mill, and Aivomjang – along the India-Myanmar border in Chandel.

Besides these around 720 Myanmarese, several thousand Myanmar nationals took shelter in Manipur after the military coup there in February 2021.

After the military takeover in Myanmar, thousands of Myanmarese fled to Mizoram with around 35,000 men, women and children now staying in neighbouring Mizoram.

The Mizoram government, church bodies, various NGOs including Young Mizo Association (YMA) are providing relief and shelter to the Myanmar nationals, including women and children.

The MHA had earlier asked the Manipur and Mizoram governments to capture biographic and biometric details of “illegal migrants” in the two states and complete the process by September this year.

Both the northeastern states had earlier agreed to undertake collection of biometrics and biographic data of Myanmar nationals. However, The Mizoram state cabinet in its meeting on Wednesday decided not to proceed with the proposed collection of biographic and biometric details of Myanmar refugees taking shelter in the state.

A Mizoram Home Department official said that the state government took up the matter with the MHA, but the Centre insisted that it carry on the process.

The official told IANS, “The Election Commission is also likely to announce the schedule of the Mizoram Assembly polls soon and the government officials would be very busy making preparations for the coming elections.”

The election to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly is likely to be held in November or December this year.

Justifying the Cabinet decision, Mizoram Information and Public Relations Minister Lalruatkima said that collection of biometric details of the Myanmar national would be discriminatory as the Myanmarese and the Mizos of Mizoram have the same blood relation, similar ethnicity, language and customs.

“The MNF (Mizo National Front) government provided relief and shelter to the Myanmar refugees on humanitarian grounds. Thousands of refugee students were enrolled in Mizoram schools and were being provided free textbooks, uniforms and Mid-Day Meals like the other students belonging to the state,” the Minister told the media in Aizawl.

Mizoram government earlier on a number of occasions urged the Central government to provide funds and accord refugee status to the Myanmar nationals taking shelter in the state.

Citing international protocols and conventions, the MHA earlier told the northeastern states that nationals from neighbouring countries cannot be given refugee status as India is not a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Refugees and the protocol.

Four northeastern states – Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km), Nagaland (215 km) and Mizoram (510 km) – share a 1,643-km unfenced border with Myanmar.

Also read: Manipur CM holds meeting to discuss fencing on stretches of India-Myanmar borders