Imphal : The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed the Manipur government to enforce mandatory online biometric registration for all foreign nationals entering the state, tightening surveillance along the sensitive international border amid rising concerns over illegal immigration.

According to officials, the updated guidelines require all non-citizens and “outsiders” to complete digital registration through the Foreigners Identification Portal, shifting the process from earlier physical biometric collection to a centralised online system. The move comes after multiple instances in which illegal immigrants were detected during physical verification drives in Chandel and other border districts.

The MHA, citing heightened instability in neighbouring countries and the associated risk of increased cross-border movement, has asked the state to step up its monitoring apparatus. The advisory warns that unchecked influx could exacerbate the already fragile law-and-order and demographic situation in Manipur.

However, authorities in Imphal acknowledged that poor internet connectivity in several border regions continues to hamper seamless online registration. Many remote locations along the Indo-Myanmar border lack reliable digital infrastructure, posing a challenge to the full rollout of the new system.

Under the latest directive, all Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police have been instructed to put in place a “robust mechanism” to curb illegal entry. They are to maintain heightened vigilance across international, inter-state, and inter-district boundaries, and report any unauthorised movement immediately.

Officials have also been told to ensure that both biographic and biometric data of detected individuals are captured without exception, and that online registration is completed at the earliest, regardless of field constraints.