Imphal : Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday said that collection of biometric details for identification of Myanmar nationals in Manipur has already begun and the Centre had asked Manipur and Mizoram to complete the exercise by September end, however, the Manipur government will ask for an extension by a year to complete the task.

The statement of the chief minister has come at a time when the central and state police are taking stick vigils on the porous Manipur-Myanmar border. On Monday, Manipur police and Assam Rifles caught a Myanmar national tressing into Manipur (India) near the Moreh, Tengnoupal district of Manipur.

The Myanmar nation was paraded for a few minutes by the Indian forces at the border fencing and later he was pushed back. The infiltration of Myanmar nationals (refugees) into Manipur has risen to around 2500 at present. They are taking shelter at different detention centers in the state.

The campaign for biometric capture of all illegal Myanmar started on July 29, 2023, with the assistance of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) team at Foreigners’ Detention Centre, Sajiwa, Imphal East district.

However, the campaign is at a snail’s pace owing to the ethnic violence between the Kukis and Meiteis on May 3. So the Manipur Chief Minister has announced of extension of the biometric data submission by a year.