A year after the free movement regime (FMR) was scrapped by the Union home ministry, over 7,000 individuals have been allowed to enter India after verification since December along the 1,643-km India-Myanmar border. This border passes through the northeastern states of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, said top government officials.
They added those with permits submitted their biometrics and local authorities conducted the address verification. "We have identified 43 entry/exit points. However, 22 have been made operational while the remaining will start in the coming days," the official added. As per the new arrangement, relatives and family members staying within a radius of 10 km have been allowed to cross border and stay for a maximum of up to three days.
As per the earlier provision of FMR, every member of the hill tribes, either a citizen of India or of Myanmar and anyone who is a resident of an area within 16 km on either side of the Indo-Myanmar border, could cross the border by producing a border pass (one-year validity) issued by a competent authority and could stay up to two weeks per visit.
FMR was implemented during the first tenure of the Modi government in 2018 as part of the government's Act-East policy. It was scrapped in February 2024 in the wake of the turbulent situation in Myanmar and the ethnic strife in Manipur.
Myanmar Army's control along the border areas with India has weakened over the past year. The decision to scrap the FMR was taken after India decided to fence the entire 1,643-km-long India-Myanmar border. Out of 1,643 km, the demarcation of 1,472 km has been completed. An advanced smart fencing system of 100 km along the border is in the pipeline to strengthen the existing surveillance system, officials said.
Fence construction along the border has been a persistent demand of the Imphal Valley-based Meitei groups. The smuggling of narcotics, arms and ammunition has also risen, particularly after the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, said officials.
Following the illegal migration from Myanmar, Mizoram and Manipur governments collected biometrics of illegal migrants in 2023 and following the exercise, they were able to identify more than 37,000 migrants who were put in negative lists for Aadhaar and voters' identification. However, the real number of illegal migrants may be higher, added officials.
They added those with permits submitted their biometrics and local authorities conducted the address verification. "We have identified 43 entry/exit points. However, 22 have been made operational while the remaining will start in the coming days," the official added. As per the new arrangement, relatives and family members staying within a radius of 10 km have been allowed to cross border and stay for a maximum of up to three days.
As per the earlier provision of FMR, every member of the hill tribes, either a citizen of India or of Myanmar and anyone who is a resident of an area within 16 km on either side of the Indo-Myanmar border, could cross the border by producing a border pass (one-year validity) issued by a competent authority and could stay up to two weeks per visit.
FMR was implemented during the first tenure of the Modi government in 2018 as part of the government's Act-East policy. It was scrapped in February 2024 in the wake of the turbulent situation in Myanmar and the ethnic strife in Manipur.
Myanmar Army's control along the border areas with India has weakened over the past year. The decision to scrap the FMR was taken after India decided to fence the entire 1,643-km-long India-Myanmar border. Out of 1,643 km, the demarcation of 1,472 km has been completed. An advanced smart fencing system of 100 km along the border is in the pipeline to strengthen the existing surveillance system, officials said.
Fence construction along the border has been a persistent demand of the Imphal Valley-based Meitei groups. The smuggling of narcotics, arms and ammunition has also risen, particularly after the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, said officials.
Following the illegal migration from Myanmar, Mizoram and Manipur governments collected biometrics of illegal migrants in 2023 and following the exercise, they were able to identify more than 37,000 migrants who were put in negative lists for Aadhaar and voters' identification. However, the real number of illegal migrants may be higher, added officials.
