NE Watch Desk
Amidst escalating illegal migration owing to fierce battle in the neighbouring country, Bharat has decided to end the Free Movement Regime or FMR along the Indo-Myanmar border. FMR permits people residing near the Bharat-Myanmar border to enter 16 km into each other’s territory sans visa.
After this move by the Indian Government, people willing to enter Bharat from the Myanmar side will required to get valid travel documents from the Indian authorities.
The government insiders have disclosed about the Centre’s decision to do away with the FMR along the border with Myanmar to stop its misuse, as per reports.
They stated further that the FMR have been abused to execute attacks on Indian establishments by outlawed outfits or militant groups from Myanmar.
Apart from this, the action will stop the rising influx of illegal immigrants and throttle the smuggling of drugs as well as other items along the Indo-Myanmar border.
To fulfil its objective and gain fruitful results, the entire Indo-Myanmar border will be fenced entirely in the next four and half years after ending FMR.
The length of the Indo-Myanmar border is 1,643 kilometers and passes through the Northeast Indian States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland.
About FMR
As a part of the Centre’s Act East policy, the FMR was implemented in 2018. It was an effort towards boosting the region’s economy by giving a push to Bharat’s business with ASEAN and other Southeast Asian nations.
Under the FMR arrangement, members of the hill tribes belonging to Bharat or Myanmar and residing within an area of 16 km on either side of the international border can cross the territory on production of a border pass with one year validity.
They were allowed to stay up to two weeks per visit and to travel sans visa to maintain their age-old connections and engage in traditional barter trade.
