Mizoram Officials Collect Biometric Data of 14,532 Myanmar Refugees

Mizoram officials are working tirelessly to collect biometric data of the 14,532 Myanmar refugees currently taking shelter in the state. These refugees, mostly from Chin state, began pouring in from early March 2021 after the Myanmar military, led by Commander-In-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, staged a military coup on February 1, 2021. The refugees have been taking shelter in Mizoram's 11 districts, with the largest number being housed in Lawngtlai district.

Despite technical snags and weak internet signals in remote villages, the biometric enrolment exercise through the 'Foreigners Identification Portal & Biometric Enrolment' (FIP&BE) has continued since July. However, the officials face challenges in collecting data from refugees living with relatives or friends, or in rented houses. Officials have reported that over 3,000 refugees from Bangladesh are also taking shelter in the state, mainly in Lawngtlai district.

Key Takeaways:

• 14,532 Myanmar refugees have been collected biometric data by Mizoram officials, with a total of 31,265 refugees from Myanmar taking refuge in the state.
• The biometric enrolment exercise through FIP&BE has continued since July, despite technical challenges in remote villages.
• Refugees from Myanmar have been taking shelter in all 11 districts of Mizoram, while refugees from Bangladesh are mainly housed in Lawngtlai district.
• Over 3,000 refugees from Bangladesh are taking shelter in Mizoram, with 2,000 housed in Lawngtlai district alone.
• Biometric enrolment of refugees from Bangladesh will be taken up after completion of enrolment of refugees from Myanmar.
• Myanmar refugees began pouring in from early March 2021, after the military coup led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on February 1, 2021.
• Main resistance forces captured Tatmadaw camps in many parts of Chin state, resulting in some refugees returning to their native places.

Statistics:

• 14,532 Myanmar refugees have had their biometric data collected by Mizoram officials.
• 31,265 refugees from Myanmar have taken refuge in Mizoram due to the political turmoil in neighboring Myanmar.
• 3,000 refugees from Bangladesh are taking shelter in Mizoram.
• 2,000 refugees from Bangladesh are housed in Lawngtlai district alone.
• Biometric enrolment of refugees from Bangladesh is expected to commence after completion of enrolment of refugees from Myanmar.

Sources:

• The article is not attributed to a specific author or publication, but it mentions "Home Department officials" as the source of the information.
• The article does not provide any external sources, but it mentions official records and government data as the basis for the information provided.