On Friday, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced that India had deported the initial group of Myanmar nationals who had unlawfully entered the country. This action follows reports of a significant influx of Myanmar nationals into India amid ongoing turmoil in their home country.
According to Singh, seven Myanmar nationals were repatriated on Friday, with plans in place to deport a total of 77 individuals who illegally crossed into India over the next three days.
The decision to deport these illegal immigrants coincides with the recent suspension of the Indo-Myanmar Free Movement Regime (FMR) and the initiation of fencing along the entire 1,643-kilometer border with Myanmar. The FMR, previously in effect, permitted tribal inhabitants residing along the border to travel up to 16 kilometers into each other's territories.
Singh had persistently advocated for the discontinuation of the FMR and the fortification of the border with Myanmar.
The state of Manipur has been grappling with ethnic conflicts between the Meitei and Kuki communities since May 3, 2023, leading to intermittent episodes of violence. Singh attributes many of the state's challenges to the influx of illegal immigrants from the Kuki-Zo community, as well as the smuggling of drugs and weapons through the porous border.
Highlighting the deportation process, Singh shared a video of the repatriation efforts, underscoring India's humanitarian gesture of providing shelter and assistance to those fleeing the crisis in Myanmar, despite not being a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention.
Reports indicate that the seven deported Myanmar nationals were flown from Imphal's international airport to Moreh, a border town, where they will be handed over to Myanmar officials at Tummu, situated on the opposite side of the international border. Among the 77 individuals slated for deportation, there are 55 women and five children, with the expenses of the deportation process to be covered by Manipur's Transport Department.
The influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar into Manipur and Mizoram surged following the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021. Mizoram has accommodated many Chins fleeing the military crackdown, considering them kin and providing refuge with essentials such as food, shelter, and education. However, the Manipur government has accused the Kukis of involvement in poppy cultivation and drug trafficking.
Singh revealed in the state assembly that from May 3, 2023, to February 27, 2024, approximately 6,746 illegal Myanmarese nationals were identified in Manipur. Similarly, Mizoram reported around 60,000 illegal immigrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh, with a significant proportion originating from Myanmar.
In a move mirroring Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC), Manipur has expressed its desire to conduct a similar exercise to identify and expel illegal immigrants. Singh intends to petition the central government for assistance in implementing the NRC, emphasizing its necessity for the state's welfare and national security interests. This resolution followed the state assembly's endorsement of a recommendation urging the central government to implement the NRC in Manipur.
