Overview
- Assam Rifles said it has mapped about 42,000 Myanmar nationals since December 2024 under the updated Free Movement Regime and shared the data with government agencies, with some reports noting inclusion of UIDAI systems.
- Officials stressed the figure reflects regulated entries across Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland, with many visitors returning to Myanmar as permitted by FMR rules.
- Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh framed the mapped entrants as illegal, drawing a rebuttal from Assam Rifles and criticism from the Kuki-Zo Council, which described the arrivals as people fleeing conflict.
- The Union Home Ministry’s revised FMR finalised about 43 crossing points and QR-enabled passes, tasked Assam Rifles with monitoring, and is paired with over 20 battalions on the border and ongoing fencing plans.
- Rights experts cautioned that collecting and sharing biometrics from displaced people without clear consent and transparency poses risks of misuse and targeting.