IMPHAL : Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh on Tuesday said illegal immigration is a grave threat to the state’s indigenous people and asserted that those who entered after 1961 should be deported with central government’s help.

In response to a query from Naga People’s Front legislator Leishiyo Keishing in the assembly, Singh described the situation as “alarming,” and stressed the need for unity in addressing illegal immigration.    

He remarked, “It is an alarming situation. Illegal immigration has caused demographic changes but some sections do not believe it. Without unity, it is not possible to deal with the issue.”

Singh said the state has a 398-km porous and unguarded international border with Myanmar, which complicates the detection of illegal immigrants.

He recalled that a cabinet sub-committee led by Tribal Affairs and Development Minister Letpao Haokip had been formed to investigate the issue. The sub-committee, working with the Home Ministry, identified nearly 2,480 illegal immigrants, though this figure is subject to correction, he said and added that detecting these immigrants is challenging when they blend with local populations.

The Chief Minister mentioned that new villages have been set up by illegal immigrants, with some areas inaccessible due to local conflicts with the Myanmar-based People’s Defence Force (PDF). He added that anyone sheltering illegal immigrants would face punishment under new orders.

Previously, 140 to 150 immigrants from Churachandpur district were detained and moved to a shelter in Imphal, the CM said, adding that satellite data has revealed new villages forming after May 3, 2023, the day when the ethnic clashes started.   

Singh emphasised that while people who entered before 1961 are considered indigenous, those who arrived later should be deported to protect the state’s future. The implementation of the Inner Line Permit system is based on the year 1961, he said.

“Those who entered the state before 1961 are permanent citizens but those who came later need to be deported with the assistance of the central government,” he added.    

He acknowledged that biometric data collection is ongoing but hampered by law and order issues. Singh stressed the importance of deporting all illegal immigrants, regardless of community, to secure the future of the state.

“It will be right to deport all illegal immigrants irrespective of the community to safeguard the present and future generations of the state,” he said. Over the past five years, 10,675 illegal immigrants, including those from Myanmar, Bangladesh, Norway, China, and Nepal, have been detected.

Among them, 85 were deported, 143 were placed in detention centres, and the remainder were housed in temporary shelters. The state has spent over Rs 85 lakh on managing these immigrants, the CM said.

“Prior to the ongoing violence that broke out on May 3 last year, 2,480 illegal Myanmar immigrants were detected,” the CM informed the House.  Singh said Kamjong district has the highest number of illegal immigrants (6,199), followed by Tengnoupal (2,406) and Chandel (1,895).

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh stated on Monday that Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma has not been appointed as an interlocutor for peace talks amidst the ethnic violence in Manipur. Addressing the Manipur assembly, Singh clarified that reports in some media outlets and on social media about Lalduhoma mediating in the Manipur ethnic crisis were inaccurate.

He explained that during a casual interaction at a NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi on July 27, he had simply requested Lalduhoma to visit Manipur.

This conversation was misinterpreted, leading to false reports. Singh emphasised that only the Prime Minister’s Office or the Ministry of Home Affairs has the authority to appoint an interlocutor, and no such steps have been taken or discussed. 

Meanwhile, an official from the Mizoram Chief Minister’s Office mentioned that Lalduhoma met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on August 1, urging him to engage in talks with Manipur’s tribal leaders to address the ongoing ethnic crisis. 

The tribal leaders of Manipur, who share ethnic, cultural, and traditional similarities with the Mizos of Mizoram, have previously held discussions in Aizawl with both the current Chief Minister Lalduhoma and former Chief Minister Zoramthanga regarding the ethnic violence and the tribals’ sufferings.