Manipur Resumes Collecting Biometric Data Of 'Illegal' Myanmar Immigrants After MHA's Directives

Following an instruction from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Manipur government began collecting biometric data from illegal immigrants on Saturday.

The biometric data collection process for Myanmar nationals has begun at the foreigner detention centre in the Imphal East district, near Sajiwa jail. (Representational Image) ( Image Source :Getty )

Following an instruction from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Manipur government began collecting biometric data from illegal immigrants on Saturday, according to a press release issued by the state government today. A team of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) officials has arrived in Imphal to assist the state government with the exercise. They will spend three days in the state capital training local officials, it said.

The biometric data collection process for Myanmar nationals has begun at the foreigner detention centre in the Imphal East district, near Sajiwa jail, the statement said. 

The detention centre currently houses 104 inmates, including 24 men, 74 women, and six minors. All of these immigrants are from Myanmar and arrived in India within the last two years.

All district authorities have also been instructed to identify illegal immigrants in their respective districts, according to Peter Salam, joint secretary of the state Home Department, Indian Express reported. 

The biometric data collection campaign was prompted by a joint meeting in New Delhi in April between MHA officials and representatives from Manipur and Mizoram. Manipur has been asked by the MHA to complete the exercise by September 30.

Following that, the state established a cabinet subcommittee for the identification of illegal immigrants. According to the joint secretary, over 2,500 illegal migrants have been identified, with Chandel having the highest number of immigrants at around 1,050.

Manipur shares 390 kilometres of India's 1,634 kilometres of border with Myanmar, but most stretches remain unfenced. This is said to have aided illegal immigration and cross-border crime. The Northeastern states saw a surge in the number of Myanmar nationals fleeing the neighbouring country after the military rulers launched a crackdown on "pro-democracy protesters" in 2021.

Over 35,000 Myanmar "refugees" have found shelter in neighbouring Mizoram, according to reports. However, in Manipur, the Meitei community, which accounts for nearly 53% of the population, has claimed that Kukis living in the hill districts aided "illegal migration" of the Kuki-Chin people from Myanmar and allowed them to encroach on forest land. They claim that "illegal migration" of Chin-Kukis is one of the causes of the ongoing conflicts, which have already killed nearly 150 people and displaced over 60,000 others.

The state government previously opened a foreigners' detention camp to house illegal migrants from Myanmar.