Mizoram authorities have so far completed biometric registration of 14,532 refugees from Myanmar — accounting for 46.48 percent of the total number currently sheltering in the state, according to officials in the Home Department.

The latest figures indicate that 31,265 people from Myanmar remain in Mizoram after fleeing the ongoing conflict and political instability in their country. The biometric exercise, carried out through the Foreigners Identification Portal & Biometric Enrolment (FIP&BE) system, began in late July and continues despite slow progress.

Officials attributed the sluggish pace mainly to technical difficulties, including weak or unavailable internet connections in remote border areas. “While the process is smoother in relief camps, it becomes much more complicated for those staying in private homes or rented accommodations,” an official explained, noting that locating and registering individuals scattered across rural and urban areas has proven challenging.

The influx of refugees from Myanmar — mostly from Chin State bordering Mizoram — began in early March 2021, shortly after the military coup led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing overthrew the elected National League for Democracy government on February 1 that year.

At the height of the crisis in 2022, the number of displaced people in Mizoram swelled to more than 50,000, though many have since returned home following advances by resistance groups that reclaimed several areas from the Myanmar military.

Besides refugees from Myanmar, the state is also hosting nearly 3,000 displaced persons from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts region. While Myanmar nationals are spread across all 11 districts of Mizoram, the Bangladesh refugees are mainly concentrated in Lawngtlai district along the southern border, with smaller groups in Thenzawl town of Serchhip district and Khawmawi village in Lunglei district.

According to official data, over 2,000 Bangladeshi refugees are staying in Lawngtlai district, 266 in Thenzawl, and 63 in Khawmawi. The Home Department said biometric registration for these groups will begin once the ongoing enrolment of Myanmar refugees is completed.