Manipur Resumes Biometric Capture Campaign For Illegal Myanmar Immigrants

As per the directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, the Manipur government has recommenced its campaign to capture biometric data of all illegal Myanmar immigrants in the strife-torn northeastern border state. Joint Secretary (Home) Peter Salam, who serves as the state's nodal officer, announced in a press release that the government of Manipur is mandated to complete the biometric capture campaign for illegal Myanmar immigrants in the state by September 2023. As of July 29, the state has resumed the process of capturing biometric data of all illegal immigrants in compliance with the central government's instructions.

A team of officials from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), deputed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, is assisting Manipur's government officials in the biometric capture exercise at the foreigners' detention centre in Sajiwa, Imphal East district.

The campaign will persist in all districts until the biometric data of all illegal Myanmar immigrants in the state is successfully captured, with a targeted completion date set for September 2023.

On July 28, the state's nodal officer urgently requested all superintendents of police in the districts to initiate the campaign for capturing biometric data of illegal Myanmar immigrants in the state to ensure timely completion by September 2023.

Officials reported that on July 23, a total of 718 Myanmar nationals, comprising 209 men, 208 women, and 301 children, were detected while attempting to enter Manipur's general area of New Lajang, situated in Chandel district, amid the ongoing conflicts in the neighboring country of Myanmar.

Meanwhile, in February 2023, Chief Minister N Biren Singh informed the 60-member state assembly that a total of 393 Myanmar nationals were apprehended in the state from January 1, 2012, until February of that year.

Additionally, in March, due to the escalating crisis in the neighboring country, the state had proposed the establishment of a temporary shelter home with the capacity to house approximately 5,000 people for illegal immigrants, as Myanmar nationals had begun entering Manipur. The state of Manipur shares a 398-kilometer-long international border with Myanmar.