MHA Tightens Border Regulations Along India-Myanmar Border
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed the Assam Rifles to compile a detailed list of villages within 10 kilometers of the Indian border in Myanmar. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to monitor and manage the movement of people entering India through the 1,643-kilometer international border shared by the two nations.
The government has reportedly identified 43 new border checkpoints where advanced face-recognition systems and biometric data capture mechanisms will be deployed to register Myanmar nationals entering India. A senior government official noted that the list of villages would be based on publicly available maps of Myanmar, but the accuracy of the data remains uncertain due to the lack of official authentication.
The Assam Rifles, which operates under the administrative control of the MHA but functions operationally under the Army, will oversee the issuance of border passes as part of the new regulations. To streamline the process, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) will establish a dedicated portal to generate QR code-enabled passes and maintain a comprehensive database of individuals entering, leaving, or overstaying in the country.
Earlier this year, the government announced the suspension of the Free Movement Regime (FMR), a long-standing arrangement that allowed residents within 16 kilometers of either side of the border to cross without passports or visas. However, media reports, including from The Hindu, indicate that the FMR has not yet been formally suspended, as no official orders have been issued to enforce the change.
On December 6, the MHA introduced new guidelines to regulate cross-border movement, requiring QR code-enabled passes for entry. The passes, valid for up to seven days, will serve nine specific purposes: visiting relatives, tourism, business, sports, official duties, medical treatment, border trade, attending seminars or conferences, and cultural exchanges.
Under the new system, the Assam Rifles will manage the first layer of verification at the border. State police forces in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur—Indian states bordering Myanmar—will conduct security checks at the accommodations of Myanmar nationals during their stay.
This move reflects India’s increasing focus on securing its borders while ensuring a structured framework for legitimate cross-border interactions. The enhanced measures are expected to strengthen oversight and mitigate potential risks associated with unchecked movement across the India-Myanmar border.
