In a significant development, the first batch of Myanmar nationals, totalling seven individuals, were deported from India via the Imphal International Airport to the border town of Moreh on Friday morning.
This marks the beginning of a series of deportations, with a reported total of 77 Myanmar nationals set to be repatriated between March 8 and 11 in separate batches.
According to official sources, these foreign nationals will be transported by helicopters from Imphal International Airport to Moreh, where they will then be handed over to Myanmar officials at Tamu, located on the Myanmar side of the international border.
The entire cost of the deportation operation will be covered by the Transport department.
The responsibility for overseeing the handing over process has been entrusted to immigration officers in Moreh, who will work in coordination with their counterparts in Tamu.
It has been emphasised that should any of the deportees attempt to escape en-route, they can be apprehended without a warrant and must be turned over to the nearest police station, where they will face charges under IPC section 224.
Of the 77 Myanmar nationals slated for deportation, 55 are reported to be women, five are children, and the remainder are adult men.
This initiative comes amid escalating tensions along the India-Myanmar border, with the influx of Myanmar nationals being cited as a major contributing factor to the crisis in Manipur.
In response to these developments, Chief Minister N Biren Singh took to Facebook, stating, “First batch of Myanmar nationals who entered India illegally deported today. Although India is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, it has given shelter & aid to those fleeing the crisis in Myanmar on humanitarian grounds with a systematic approach.”
The infiltration of Myanmar nationals into Manipur has been a longstanding issue, exacerbated by the political turmoil in Myanmar.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also declared that there will be no free movement regime, and plans for border fencing are underway to address these concerns.
