In Phungyar (ST) assembly constituency, MLA Leishiyo Keishing has sounded the alarm about the dangers posed by the arrival of illegal immigrants from Myanmar into the state. He’s urging Chief Minister N Biren Singh to send the refugees back to their own places.
In a letter sent to the chief minister on May 9, he expressed worries about the continuous flow of illegal immigrants from Myanmar since November 2023. He pointed out that the number of immigrants in shelter homes at different locations has surpassed the local residents. They’re getting basic necessities like food, water, electricity, and even shelter, it mentioned.
He noted that there have been several incidents where local residents were assaulted over disputes regarding daily wages and domestic matters. The local law enforcement agencies are having difficulty handling and controlling such situations due to insufficient police personnel stationed at the border area.
The refugees’ foreign customs and beliefs make it difficult for even local customary laws to regulate or constrain them, the letter stated.
It also highlighted numerous cases of killings and kidnappings of local residents by the immigrants, but the perpetrators manage to flee across the border where neither customary nor Indian law can be applied.
The refugee population has exceeded 5,800 individuals, and biometric data for 5,173 people has been collected under the district administration’s supervision, it noted.
He urged Chief Minister N Biren to take immediate action to devise a suitable plan to repatriate the refugees to their villages in Myanmar or to find a suitable place to shelter them under strict supervision.
He also warned against granting Indian citizenship to the refugees, referring to historical instances from 1968. He stressed the need to fortify the police presence at the border.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh recently brought attention to the critical issue of illegal immigration from Myanmar, disclosing significant figures of migrants seeking refuge in the state.
He informed the media that the Manipur government has identified 5,801 illegal migrants in Kamjong district so far, with 15 individuals having tragically died of natural causes and 359 voluntarily returning to Myanmar.
Currently, 5,457 illegal Myanmar migrants are taking shelter in designated camps across eight villages in Kamjong district alone, he revealed, underlining the seriousness of the situation. However, the fate of the remaining migrants is uncertain, aggravated by recent bombings by the Myanmar army, he added.
In response, the Kamjong district administration, along with the police department, has commenced biometric data collection and ramped up security measures around designated camps. Plans are also in progress for the re-verification of all migrants and their deportation once the situation in Myanmar stabilizes, CM Biren assured.
Despite calls from the International Committee of Jurists to halt deportations, the chief minister reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting the interests of Manipur’s indigenous community.
“To safeguard the state, which is already grappling with various challenges and threats posed by illegal immigration, forest encroachment, and poppy cultivation, we will persist with the deportation of illegal immigrants,” the CM asserted.
He also announced that the Home department had appointed 10 civil and police nodal officers on Saturday. Two nodal officers each will be tasked with checking and monitoring the influx of illegal migrants in five districts bordering Myanmar, namely Chandel, Tengnoupal, Kamjong, Ukhrul, and Churachandpur, with additional vigilance by another special team, he added.
