Why Mizoram is registering Myanmar Bangladesh refugees with biometrics
Since July 2025, Mizoram has been trying to register over 32,000 refugees from Myanmar and nearly 3,000 from Bangladesh using biometric data.
Most of the Myanmar arrivals are Chin people who escaped after a military coup in 2021.
The goal: keep track of everyone and make sure no one falls through the cracks.
Challenges in the registration drive
Progress has been slow—less than 2,000 refugees were registered by early August.
The main culprits? Broken devices and patchy internet in remote areas.
In Champhai district, which hosts over 13,000 Myanmar refugees, only seven people got registered at first.
Officials hope new equipment will speed things up soon.
It's also tough to reach those living outside relief camps or kids attending school away from their families.
Who are the refugees?
Myanmar refugees are scattered across Mizoram, while most Bangladeshi refugees stick to Lawngtlai district with a few in Serchhip and Lunglei.
Many belong to Chin or Bawm groups—ethnic communities with close ties to local Mizos—which shapes how they settle in.
Plus, cross-border movement means the number of refugees keeps changing week by week.