Mizoram shares a 510 km long international border with Myanmar. Myanmar's refugees fled their country after a military coup last year. The refugees include Myanmar's parliamentarians and politicians.
According to data released by the state government, refugees from Myanmar touched 22,000 in Mizoram, with 8,000 new additions in the last week.
The Mizoram government is soon going to provide identity cards to these refugees. The process was already underway, but came to a halt due to the rise in Covid cases.
Official sources have said that the majority of Myanmar's citizens are from the state of Chin and share ethnic ties with the Mizo people. The fresh refugees crossed the Tiau River in a small country boat and then trekked through the jungle area to reach Mizoram.
Chief Minister Zoramthanga has written several times to the Center seeking political asylum for Myanmar's citizens.
The Union Home Ministry last year sent an advisory to the four northeastern states of Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, which share a 1,640-km fenceless border with Myanmar, stating that the state government and union territories have "Refugees" have no power to give. Status of any foreigner. India is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol.
Various NGOs and local organizations have formed the Myanmar Refugee Relief Committee and the organization is collecting donations, relief materials, food, clothing and medicines to help the immigrants.
The north-eastern state is already home to thousands of Chin communities from Myanmar who fled the military junta in the neighbouring country to the state since the late 1980s.