The Mizoram government has declared that it will not be collecting biometric data of Myanmar illegal immigrants in the state, ignoring a direction by the Centre.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had in April directed the Mizoram and Manipur governments to collect the biometric and biographic details of illegal immigrants in their states. In June, it directed both states that the campaign be completed by the end of September and directed both to prepare a plan and initiate the process.

“Since the Myanmar military coup of 2021, around 60,000 Myanmarese have taken refuge in the state. The government of Mizoram has provided all the relief to these refugees. The children have been given free education, free mid-day meals, and others, and the state government, despite the Centre’s failure to provide any funds, is continuing to provide for the relief of our brethren,” Mizoram information and public relations minister Lalruatkima said.

The state minister also said that “such profiling of our brothers and sisters is not required”, and that the state government won’t take up “such discriminatory exercise”.

Earlier in July, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga said that the state government refused to push back ‘refugees’ from Myanmar, which came following the military Junta taking over the reign.

While the Zoramthanga-led Mizo National Front (MNF) government has said it won’t be collecting the biometric data, the Manipur government too has sought an extension.

Manipur started the process on July 29 with the assistance of officials from the National Crime Records Bureau, but Chief Minister Biren Singh said last week that he would ask the Centre to extend the timeline by a year, as the ongoing strife is delaying the exercise.