New Delhi: The first batch of seven Myanmar nationals was deported from India via the Imphal International Airport to the border town of Moreh on Friday morning (March 8).This marks the start of a series of deportations, with 77 individuals set to be repatriated between March 8 and 11 in separate groups, Imphal Free Press reported.They will be transported by helicopters to Moreh and handed over to Myanmar officials at Tamu, the report said, quoting official sources.The entire cost of the deportation operation will be covered by the transport department, it added.Immigration officers in Moreh are overseeing the process. They 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 Indian Penal Code Section 224, the report said.Of the 77 Myanmar nationals slated for deportation, 55 are reported to be women, five are children, and the remainder are adult men.In response to these developments, chief minister N. Biren Singh took to Facebook, saying, “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.”Earlier, Union home minister Amit Shah emphasised the need for border fencing to control the influx of Myanmar nationals into Manipur.
