Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh revealed that a state cabinet sub-committee detected 2,480 illegal immigrants in the state in 2023. The sub-committee was formed to address the concerns of increasing deforestation and the setting up of new villages by illegal immigrants. The cabinet sub-committee was headed by Kuki minister Letpao Haokip and included another Kuki minister, Nemcha Kipgen. The detection process involved biometric identification in villages across different districts of Manipur. However, the campaign was abruptly halted after violence broke out on May 3, last year. Chief Minister Singh emphasized that the detection was not biased against any individual or community but targeted illegal immigrants. He stated that the biometric identification process revealed 1,165 illegal immigrants in ten villages of Chandel district, 1,147 illegal immigrants in thirteen villages of Tengnoupal district, 154 illegal immigrants in Churachandpur district, and the rest in Kamjong district. These figures do not include an additional 5,457 illegal immigrants who entered Kamjong district. The situation improved in the neighbouring country, resulting in the voluntary return of 329 individuals. The detection process aimed to cover the entire state of Manipur and was intended to prevent illegal immigration across all communities. However, the violence outbreak led to the premature end of the campaign. The violence erupted as a result of ethnic clashes sparked by a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ organized to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The clashes resulted in over 219 deaths and the displacement of thousands of people from their homes. Manipur’s population consists of Meiteis, constituting about 53% of the population and residing in the Imphal Valley, and Nagas and Kukis, who comprise a little over 40% of the population and reside in the hill districts.