Imphal, Sept. 6 -- Nearly 65,000 people from Myanmar's north-west region have crossed into India's north-eastern states, particularly Manipur and Mizoram, seeking protection since February 2021, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh expressed concern over the rising influx, saying, "When I warned about this long ago, very few paid attention, including my colleagues. Today, UNHCR reports that nearly 64,300 Myanmar nationals have crossed into India since 2021. The unofficial numbers could be much higher, even multiple times more. We cannot afford to sit idle. We need to work harder before this issue consumes us."

The UNHCR report states that around 6,800 arriva...