Key facts
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured Mizoram of Rs 10 crore worth of rice for refugees.
- Mizoram is currently sheltering nearly 40,000 refugees from Myanmar and around 2,365 from Bangladesh.
- The refugees from Myanmar arrived following the 2021 military coup.
- The refugees from Bangladesh fled ethnic unrest and security concerns in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
- Mizoram's Chief Minister Lalduhoma requested assistance under the Security Related Expenditure Scheme.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma that the central government will provide rice worth Rs 10 crore for the relief and support of refugees sheltered in the Northeastern state. During a meeting in New Delhi, Lalduhoma informed Shah that nearly 40,000 refugees from Myanmar and approximately 2,365 refugees from Bangladesh are currently residing in Mizoram.
The refugees from Myanmar have sought shelter in Mizoram in phases since the military coup in February 2021. Many share ethnic, cultural, and familial ties with the local Mizo population. The refugees from Bangladesh fled the Chittagong Hill Tracts region due to ethnic unrest and security concerns.
In addition to the rice aid, Chief Minister Lalduhoma requested that Mizoram also receive assistance under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme, similar to other Northeastern states. He highlighted the need for such support to combat drug trafficking, trans-border crimes, and cybercrime threats, noting that Mizoram has remained peaceful and free from insurgency.