Mizoram has achieved substantial progress in registering Myanmar refugees under its biometric enrolment drive, with officials stating that over 90 per cent of the process has been completed across the State. According to the State Home department, Mizoram is currently providing shelter to 28,355 refugees who fled Myanmar due to ongoing political unrest and armed conflict.
Official records show that biometric data has already been collected from 26,381 refugees, accounting for 93.04 per cent of the total. The exercise has been carried out by district administrations across all 11 districts.
Champhai district, which lies along the India–Myanmar border and hosts the highest number of refugees, has emerged as the frontrunner in the enrolment process. Authorities there have completed biometric registration for 12,083 refugees. This has been achieved despite continued arrivals, including 231 refugees who entered the district in late January and another 137 who arrived last week.
Several districts have already completed the exercise. Aizawl, Lunglei and Serchhip districts finished biometric enrolment earlier, aided by better accessibility and comparatively smoother administrative conditions. In southern Mizoram, Hnahthial district has also recorded strong progress, with biometric details collected from 563 out of 591 refugees, reaching a completion rate of 95.26 per cent.
However, the pace of enrolment has varied across districts. Lawngtlai district, located in the southernmost part of the State and sharing borders with both Myanmar and Bangladesh, has lagged behind. Out of 5,034 refugees residing there, only 3,677 have been enrolled so far, translating to 73.04 per cent coverage. Interestingly, the district has also reported a decline of 983 refugees compared to figures from late January, though officials have not yet clarified the reasons for this decrease.
Authorities acknowledged that the biometric exercise, which was formally launched across all districts in late July last year, has faced multiple challenges. Technical glitches in enrolment equipment, logistical difficulties and the rugged terrain of border areas have all contributed to uneven progress.
Concerns have also been raised as enrolment activities reportedly came to a standstill in five districts during January. These include Siaha, Kolasib, Saitual, Mamit and Khawzawl districts. The State Home department said it is yet to receive detailed reports explaining why the process was suspended in these areas.
Officials emphasised that biometric registration is essential for accurately documenting and managing the refugee population in Mizoram. The State government is working to resolve technical and logistical issues so that the remaining enrolment can be completed soon. With cross-border movement continuing intermittently and new refugees arriving from time to time, authorities face the added challenge of completing pending registrations while keeping records updated to reflect fresh inflows.
