Unfenced border in focus amid arrest of seven foreigners who crossed to Myanmar via porous border

Amid the recent arrest of seven foreign nationals, including six Ukrainians and a U.S. citizen, who allegedly had illegally crossed into Myanmar via Mizoram to train armed ethnic groups in weapons handling and drone operations, data show that 43 km of the total 1,643 km border with Myanmar has been fenced so far.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has accused the foreigners of importing drones from Europe to Myanmar via India for the use of ethnically armed groups (EAGs) in Myanmar.

The government recently informed a parliamentary panel that to check illegal migration, trafficking and insurgent activities along the Myanmar border, “coordination with local communities, Myanmar Army and associated security agencies is maintained” and a “joint counter-drone mechanism with monthly reporting has also been instituted”.

The fencing project, which includes installation of gates that record biometrics and photographs of people who cross the border, has faced resistance from residents of border States as people on either side share deep ethnic, social and cultural ties.

As many as 43 designated exit and entry gates were operationalised to regulate the movement of people and biometrics and gate passes were introduced. However, over the past two years, the number of gates has declined to 38 and only 20 are functional, a government source said. At least five gates along the Mizoram-Myanmar border had to be shut down as no one was using them, the source added.

Assam Rifles, the country’s oldest paramilitary force which is under operational control of the Army but is administratively under the Ministry of Home Affairs, is the border-guarding force along Myanmar.

According to the latest data provided by the Ministry to a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, of the total 1,643 km of fencing approved by the government, 390.39 km has been sanctioned and only 43.75 km of fencing has been completed so far; 346.64 km is currently under construction.

Road infrastructure showed similar early-stage progress -- 3,194.8 km approved; 941.919 km sanctioned; 11.5 km completed; and 930.419 km under construction, as per the report tabled in the Parliament on March 17.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had approved the project in March 2024, at a cost of ₹31,000 crore.

In December 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs put in new measures to regulate the movement of people along the unfenced border passing along the States of Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Nagaland (215 km), Manipur (398 km) and Mizoram (510 km).

India and Myanmar share an unfenced border and have a unique arrangement called the Free Movement Regime (FMR). While the FMR was not scrapped, it was regulated and free movement of people -- without visas and passports on either side of the unfenced border -- was restricted to 10 km from the earlier 16 km.

The parliamentary committee was informed by the Ministry that along the Indo-Myanmar border, challenges such as illegal migration, trafficking and insurgent activities were being addressed through intelligence-led operations, enhanced surveillance and coordinated ground measures.