10 border gates functional in state
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 14 2025: A total of 22 Out of 43 designated crossing points along the India-Myanmar border have begun operations under the revised Free Movement Regime (FMR), according to a report published in The Hindu citing a senior government official.

Of these, 10 gates are operational in Manipur, five each in Mizoram and Nagaland, and two in Arunachal Pradesh.

The updated framework aims to regulate movement along the porous border while taking into account the ethnic and familial ties shared by people on both sides.

The Union Home Ministry had finalised fresh guidelines on December 6, introducing QR code-enabled passes for border residents.

While Home Minister Amit Shah had announced the scrapping of the FMR on December 25, no formal orders have been issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for suspension of the agreement.

The Myanmar side of the border remains volatile due to an ongoing armed conflict between ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) and the ruling military junta, which seized power in a coup oh February 1, 2021 .

The MHA's revised guidelines designate 43 crossing points, with Assam Rifles entrusted with monitoring the movement of people entering India from Myanmar.

Since the military coup, tens of thousands of refugees have sought refuge in Mizoram and Manipur.

The Free Movement Regime, introduced in 1968, was originally intended to facilitate movement between border communities due to their shared ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Initially, the permissible movement limit was set at 40 km but was later reduced to 16 km in 2004.Further restrictions were imposed in 2016, and under the latest regulations, the limit has been reduced to 10 km.

The revised FMR allows border residents to visit their families and relatives without requiring a visa or passport, though movement is now closely monitored.

Travellers must obtain a border pass, and their biometric details are recorded and uploaded to a central database to check for security concerns.

Assam Rifles has been assigned the responsibility of issuing border passes and conducting preliminary security verification at the entry points.

Further checks are carried out by the respective state police in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur at the places where Myanmar nationals intend to stay.

The border pass remains valid for up to seven days.

In addition to the 22 operational border gates, 21 more checkpoints are planned under the second phase of implementation along the 1,643-km-long international border.

These additional measures are expected to strengthen border monitoring while addressing the humanitarian needs of displaced communities.

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