Syllabus 

GS2: India and its Neighborhood- Relations.

Context: 

Mizoram has been grappling with a refugee crisis since the February 2021 military coup in Myanmar.

More on the News 

• Some 4,000 refugees crossed over from Myanmar in the first week of July following a fratricidal battle between two rival armed groups. 
• Mizoram is now caught between pushing back the refugees who are ethnically related to the State’s dominant Mizos and letting them stay despite limited resources and a tepid response from the Centre.

Reasons for fresh inflow:

• Since July 3, some 4,000 from Myanmar’s Chin State crossed into Mizoram’s Champhai district. 
• This was after a fierce gunfight between two anti-junta armed groups, the Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) and the Chinland Defence Force-Hualngoram (CDF-H). 
• The two groups are part of the People’s Defence Force aligned with the pro-democracy National Unity Government of Myanmar, which has seized control of large swathes of the Chin State from the junta over the last few months. 
• They are said to have turned against each other to control areas in the region deemed strategic for trade with India. 
• Indian intelligence officials said the CNDF prevailed over the CDF-H and captured its camps.

Beginning of the Refugee 

• Myanmar nationals have long moved in and out of Mizoram, even before the 1968 Free Movement Regime allowed border residents to travel up to 40 km. This was cut to 16 km in 2004, with stricter rules added in 2016. 
• The Centre announced the suspension of the FMR in February 2024, but there has been no official notification or bilateral agreement in this regard, apart from the Ministry of Home Affairs bringing in a fresh protocol in December 2024 to limit the free movement to 10 km. 
• The crisis worsened in 2022 when 2,000 Bawm refugees fled Bangladesh, followed by thousands of Kuki-Zo people from Manipur. 
• Mizoram now shelters over 40,000 refugees from Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Manipur.

Free Movement Regime (FMR)

• Under the FMR, any member of a hill tribe who is a citizen of either India or Myanmar, and who resides within 16 km of the border on either side, can cross on the production of a border pass, usually valid for a year, and can stay up to two weeks per visit.

Reason for Refugee Infiltration

• Porous border: India and Myanmar share an unfenced 1,643 km-long border.
• Escalating Conflict: The Myanmar military has widely used air and artillery strikes on civilians, especially in border states like Sagaing, Chin, and Kachin near India.
• Humanitarian Crisis: The conflict has caused a major humanitarian crisis, displacing many and forcing them to seek refuge in India, Bangladesh, and Thailand.
• Statelessness: The Rohingya in Myanmar have long faced persecution, fueling ongoing displacement and the refugee crisis.

State Dealing with Crisis

Ethnic Solidarity vs. Growing Strain: The Mizo community (majority in Mizoram) shares deep cultural and familial ties with the Chin people of Myanmar, as well as the Kuki-Zo tribes of Manipur and Bangladesh’s Bawm community—collectively part of the Zo ethnic group.

Initial Support: Since the 2021 Myanmar coup, Mizoram openly welcomed refugees, with Chief Minister Lalduhoma citing humanitarian and ethnic solidarity as reasons not to deport them. Local groups like the Young Mizo Association (YMA), churches, and individuals provided food, shelter, and funds.

Rising Local Resistance: As refugee numbers grew, villagers began facing economic strain. In March 2024, several areas imposed restrictions:

• Farkawn village (Champhai district) banned refugees from trading and restricted movement outside camps.
• Melthum (Aizawl district) and Lawngtlai town issued similar orders, threatening eviction for non-compliance.

Security & Demographic Concerns: Activist V.L. Thlamuanpuia warned the Centre that unchecked refugee influx risks:

• National security threats (potential insurgent infiltration).
• Demographic shifts altering local identity.
• Draining resources (jobs, healthcare, rations).

Central Government Response: 

Legal Framework and Policy Approach: India operates without a formal refugee policy, as it has not signed the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, refugee matters are currently handled under existing foreigner-related laws (Foreigners Act, 1946) and regulations.

• The government collaborates with UN agencies on case-by-case refugee status determinations.

Evolving Stance on Border Management: The central government has adopted increasingly strict rhetoric regarding border control

• Mizoram state authorities report growing operational challenges due to sustained refugee inflows

Implementation Challenges and Local Measures: In March 2024, Mizoram's Chief Minister identified the Free Movement Regime (FMR) as contributing to cross-border smuggling

• State government has also formally requested Presidential assent for the Mizoram (Maintenance of Household Registers) Bill to improve foreign national identification.

Source: The Hindu

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/mizoram/how-is-mizoram-handling-the-refugee-crisis/article69805112.ece