Mizoram’s Refugee Biometric Drive Crawls Amid Technical Glitches, Poor Connectivity

Aizawl: The biometric enrolment of refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh in Mizoram has been moving at a slow pace, with only 1,947 individuals registered so far under the Foreigners Identification Portal and Biometric Enrolment (FIP & BE) programme.

The process, which began in the last week of July, is being carried out in all 11 districts. Refugees from Myanmar are spread across the state, while those from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts are mostly concentrated in Lawngtlai district, with smaller groups in Lunglei and Thenzawl. Mizoram currently hosts around 32,000 refugees from Myanmar and nearly 3,000 from Bangladesh.

Officials say technical glitches in electronic devices and poor internet connectivity in remote areas have slowed progress. Collecting data at relief camps is relatively easier, but reaching those staying with relatives or friends takes more time.

Champhai district, home to more than 13,500 Myanmar refugees, has been among the slowest. Since starting the process on July 31, only seven people have been enrolled due to equipment failures. The district administration has now received new devices from the state home department and expects the work to resume next week with better results.

Authorities remain hopeful that the pace will pick up soon, but challenges persist as the state works to manage the large refugee population alongside ongoing technical difficulties.