Mizoram awaits MHA nod for biometrics of Myanmar refugees

AIZAWL: Mizoram govt is yet to commence biometric enrolment of over 33,800 Myanmar refugees taking shelter in the state, as the final instruction from the ministry of home affairs (MHA) is still awaited, state home department officials said on Tuesday.
Officials said the biometric enrolment portal developed by the MHA is not applicable to the Myanmar refugees in Mizoram, as it is designed for refugees who are to be deported to their native country.
Union home minister Amit Shah has assured state chief minister Lalduhoma that the refugees will not be pushed back until peace is fully restored in the civil-war-torn Myanmar, currently under military rule.
"We have written again to the MHA to modify the portal as it is impractical in the present scenario, and we are awaiting their response. The central govt has extended the deadline for biometric enrolment till December this year," one official said.
Although the state council of ministers decided on June 18 to proceed with the biometric data collection of Myanmar refugees, the state home department's complaint about the inapplicability of the biometric enrolment during the previous govt is deemed reasonable by the current administration, the official said.