Aizawl, Feb 23: Mizoram is close to completing the biometric enrolment of Myanmar refugees staying across the state, Home Minister K Sapdanga informed the Assembly on Monday. Deputy commissioners are supervising the final phase of the process.

“As of February 5, 93% of the biometric enrolment for Myanmar refugees is complete. We aim to finish the remaining registrations soon,” Sapdanga said.

The state currently hosts 38,059 displaced people, including refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh, along with over 7,000 internally displaced Kuki-Zo from Manipur affected by ethnic violence. Registration of asylum seekers from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts mostly ethnic Bawm is also underway, with 13% of over 2,300 people enrolled so far, mainly in Lawngtlai and Serchhip districts.

Myanmar nationals, numbering over 28,000 and primarily from Chin state, are spread across all 11 districts after fleeing the 2021 military coup.

The enrolment drive, launched in late July 2025 through the Ministry of Home Affairs’ ‘Foreigners Identification Portal and Biometric Enrolment’ system, faced challenges including technical issues, poor internet connectivity in remote areas, and difficulties reaching refugees living outside camps.

Authorities said refugee numbers fluctuate due to cross-border movement, but efforts are ongoing to ensure all are registered. Mizoram shares a 510-km border with Myanmar and a 318-km border with Bangladesh, with ethnic ties connecting the Chin, Bawm, and Kuki-Zo communities to the local population.