29,000 Refugees in Mizoram: Govt Moves to Secure Border!
29,000 Myanmarese refugees in Mizoram; biometric registration and border fence planned.
Mizoram Home Minister K Sapdanga revealed that more than 29,000 Myanmar nationals, displaced by ongoing conflict following a military coup in February 2021, are currently seeking refuge across Mizoram. Speaking during a written reply on the first day of the state assembly’s two-day monsoon session, Sapdanga responded to a query from Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) member V L Zaithanzama, highlighting the scale of the humanitarian crisis in the state.
As of August 11, 2025, a total of 29,046 Myanmarese, predominantly from the Chin community with ethnic ties to the Mizos, are spread across all 11 districts of Mizoram, with Champhai district hosting the highest number at over 13,500. To manage the influx, Sapdanga announced that district administrations have initiated biometric enrollment for the displaced individuals, a step aimed at streamlining documentation and support processes.
The Home Minister also disclosed that the Central Government is collaborating with the Mizoram state government, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and the Assam Rifles, which guards the 510-km-long India-Myanmar border, to implement border fencing. However, this plan has faced strong opposition from Mizoram’s civil society organizations and student bodies, including the influential Young Mizo Association (YMA), who argue that fencing could disrupt ethnic and cultural ties with the Chin community.
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The influx of refugees began after the military coup in Myanmar triggered widespread conflict, forcing thousands to flee to Mizoram, a state that shares deep ethnic and cultural connections with the Chins. The ongoing crisis has placed significant pressure on Mizoram’s resources, prompting both state and central authorities to address the situation while navigating local sentiments and logistical challenges.
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