AIZAWL: The Mizoram government has started the process of collecting biometric details of Myanmar nationals.
This development comes following an instruction from the union home ministry.
Over 30,000 Myanmar nationals have been taking refuge in Mizoram since February 2021 after the Myanmar military staged a coup and threw a democratically elected government in the neighbouring country out of power.
A pilot project of recording biometric data of Myanmar nationals was launched in all the 11 districts last week, state home department officer on special duty-cum-joint secretary David H. Lalthangliana told PTI.
He said the exercise was being conducted in relief camps.
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In April, the MHA had instructed Mizoram and Manipur to collect biometric details of illegal immigrants.
The Mizoram government had previously conducted profiling of the Myanmar nationals on its own and issued identity cards to them.
Earlier, Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga had objected to Centre’s instructions to deport Myanmar nationals from the state.