CNI News

6 June 2025

Myanmar war refugees who have taken refuge in the Indian state of Mizoram were facing a shortage of jobs and difficulties in livelihood, Salai Soe Htun, head of humanitarian assistance department of the Paletwa Council, told CNI News. 

He said that war refugees from Myanmar in Mizoram were struggling to survive because they did not receive support from WFP and the state government's support only arrived occasionally.

"Overall, the food situation is difficult. Support is not regular. When they don't get the WFP's assistance, employment opportunities are rare. Food situation is not good. Employment is not good. There are no regular services provided by large organizations. When they have no income, it is also difficult to access health care. Some of the refugee camps are very far from the town, so transportation is not convenient. Furthermore, there are those who cannot afford to receive medical treatment. Employment is scarcer during the rainy season, so it's very difficult to make ends meet," he said.

While floods in Mizoram are causing hardship for Myanmar war refugees

During this rainy season, heavy rains have reportedly submerged the homes of some Paletwa war refugees in Tweedin and Khaki villages in Laungtalai district of Mizoram state. 

According to Indian government records, there are 33,023 Myanmar refugees living in Mizoram, including 12,661 children. Most of the refugees fleeing fighting on the Myanmar side in Mizoram are Chin people from Chin State, Myanmar, who are related to the Mizo people.

Salai Soe Than said that the state government sometimes imposes restrictions on border security, but that apart from the lack of assistance, everything else is free.

"Sometimes, there are strict security conditions. At that time, refugees can travel with a refugee card. If they don't have one, they can travel with a letter of recommendation from the governor. Not always. Sometimes, there are strict security conditions like that. Except for providing assistance, everything else is considered free. "Usually, in villages, there are fields and gardens. Then, they work as daily wage laborers. They grow crops on the land they are given. For most people, they cannot get land. Sometimes, they have to live on the money that people give them. They don't have regular jobs," he said.

The Chin refugees are mostly from Paletwa and Thantlang, and the Rakhine and Bamar people are also among the refugees. The Chin people have been living in Mizoram since the Myanmar Tatmadaw took power in February 2021, and have recently seen an increase in the number of people fleeing the fighting in Paletwa.

Currently, the number of people fleeing fighting from Paletwa to Mizoram has reached over 4,000, according to the Paletwa Council's Humanitarian Assistance Department.

Recently, the Indian central government issued an order to arrest and deport illegal immigrants from the country through the route they entered.

Announcements have also been made in various states in India to build sufficient detention centers to detain illegal immigrants.