Aizawl Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma has said his government would continue to assist refugees from Myanmar and internally displaced people from Manipur, with support from the Centre.

Mr. Lalduhoma made the comments at a press conference in Aizawl on January 6 upon his return from Delhi.

“Even though the Centre can’t accord refugee status to the Myanmar nationals, it is ready to collaborate with us in providing relief to them. People from Manipur, who fled their homes due to ethnic violence, will also be looked after with the help of the central government,” he said.

According to officials, more than 31,000 individuals belonging to the Chin community from Myanmar have sought shelter in Mizoram since February 2021, following a military coup in their home country. The Chin community from Myanmar and the ethnic Kuki-Zo community from Manipur share ethnic ties with the Mizos.

Over 9,000 internally displaced people from Manipur have taken shelter in Mizoram.

On Jan. 5, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had informed the Mizoram Chief Minister that the Centre won’t deport Myanmar nationals who sought refuge in the State since February 2021, until normalcy is restored in the neighbouring country, an official release said.

The Chief Minister also expressed hope that the Centre will cancel the move to fence a portion of the India-Myanmar border. The Union Government had recently said it plans to fence a 300-km stretch of unfenced boundary with Myanmar and end the free movement regime, which allows people living on both sides of the international border to travel within 16 km into each other’s territory without a visa.