District authorities of Champhai in Mizoram bordering Myanmar are gearing up for a possible influx of refugees fleeing the neighbouring country after last month’s military coup there.
The state shares a 510km-long border with Myanmar and there’s a possibility that those who fear political persecution could flee and enter India seeking refuge.
In an order issued on Tuesday, the Champhai administration asked people in the district, especially those residing in border areas, to immediately notify them of any information about Myanmarese nationals entering India seeking shelter.
“If somebody crosses over without the notice of the district administration or village councils in border areas, they have to be caught and the local authorities alerted. They have to record entries of people who are not Indian nationals,” Maria CT Zuali, deputy commissioner, Champhai, said over phone.
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Once village councils submit reports of any such entry of Myanmar nationals in their areas, the district administration will take action on them in consultation with the Centre. “We will try and find out if at all the lives of those entering India are threatened in Myanmar. We can decide on these people based on what the Centre says. They will be deported if we are not granted permission to take them in as refugees,” Zuali said.
The DC stated that as of now, no Myanmarese nationals have entered the district following the military coup. But there have been some reports of people seeking refugee status.
{{/usCountry}}The DC stated that as of now, no Myanmarese nationals have entered the district following the military coup. But there have been some reports of people seeking refugee status.
{{/usCountry}}“We have heard some such reports from a few village councils. We will have a meeting on Thursday on how to treat these illegal migrants. We have to scrutinise each such person and the reason for their trying to enter India. We don’t want any militants trying to sneak in,” she said.
The order stated that those who face danger of persecution by the present leadership in Myanmar due to their political beliefs should be regarded as refugees and given shelter in the district.
It added that a large number of people might flee Myanmar and seek refuge in India as a result of the coup and the growing civil disobedience against it.
Along with the order, the district authority also issued a proforma for the “identification of migrants/refugees entering Mizoram from Myanmar in connection with military coup”.
Besides recording the personal details of each Myanmarese national, it would also enumerate information on whether that individual belongs to any political organisation targeted by the military in the neighbouring country, reasons for fleeing and if they face any “real and imminent threat”.
The order by the Champhai administration is in line with standard operating procedures (SOPs) prepared earlier by the state’s home department regarding refugees from Myanmar.