Mizoram Home Minister warns refugees against illegal trade

Aizawl, Mar 2 (PTI) Mizoram Home Minister K Sapdanga on Monday told the state Assembly that some refugees taking shelter in the northeastern state are engaging in illegal commercial activities, with some individuals already facing serious legal charges.

He said that the government is taking a stern view of such refugees.

Responding to questions during the ongoing budget session, Sapdanga said that while the government has not received "official reports," it is aware that some refugees are covertly conducting small-scale businesses in violation of the law.

"Authorities are actively investigating these cases and have made several arrests, with some individuals facing very serious criminal cases depending on the nature of the goods being sold or transported," the Home minister said.

Providing an update on the state's biometric enrollment process, Sapdanga said that a total of 26,381 refugees from Myanmar have been enrolled as of February 5, while 1,974 people are yet to be registered.

Mizoram currently hosts more than 38,000 refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh, as well as internally displaced people (IDPs) from neighbouring Manipur.

The refugees, as well as IDPs from Manipur, are mostly ethnic Zo communities, who share close ethnic and cultural ties with the Mizos.

Although the government has plans for designated settlements or relief camps, they remain difficult to implement effectively, according to Sapdang.

"They (refugees) arrived in Mizoram out of extreme fear and hardship. They can't always stay where the government desires, nor can they always stay where they themselves wish. They are scattered wherever they can find space, some in schools, and others with relatives," he said.

"While we have plans for designated settlement, they are often impossible to implement fully. It is a struggle for the planners as well as for the refugees themselves," the Home minister added.

The Myanmar nationals, mostly from the Chin state, fled to Mizoram following a military coup in the neighbouring country in February 2021, while the asylum seekers belonging to ethnic Bawm tribe, one of the Mizo tribes, from Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts came to the state after a military offensive against an ethnic insurgent group in 2022.

The Kuki-Zomi-Hmar group from Manipur fled to Mizoram following the ethnic violence in May, 2023. PTI CORR RG