Two Americans detained at Mizoram airport, sent back to Delhi

Two American nationals were detained at the Lengpui airport in Mizoram’s Aizawal on May 2 and were sent back to Delhi on Saturday. The two had arrived in Mizoram as they wanted to visit the refugee camps of the Bawm community, a senior government official told The Hindu on Saturday (May 3, 2025).

Intelligence agencies had received information that four U.S. citizens, including two of Bangladeshi origin, who are in India on tourist visas would be arriving at Aizawl on May 2.

The agencies suspect that the Bangladeshi origin U.S citizens played a key role in raising Kuki-Chin National Front in Chittagong during its nascent stage.

Several members of the Bawm community who had fled to India from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tract Area since 2022 have taken shelter in Mizoram, a senior government official said on Saturday.

They started seeking refuge following a military offensive by the Bangladeshi Army against the Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA), an insurgent group.

The U.S citizens (names being withheld) are said to be associated with Tearfund, an organisation which works with local churches and Christian organisations in more than 50 countries.

The Chins, Kuki-Zos, and Bawms are ethnically related to the dominant Mizos of Mizoram.

“The man and the woman were detained at the Lengpui airport and were sent back to Delhi,” said the official, adding that none of them had a protected area permit (PAP) to enter the State.

Protected Area Regime

On December 17, 2024 the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had reimposed Protected Area Regime (PAR) in Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram to monitor the movement of foreigners amid “growing security concerns arising out of influx from neighbouring countries.” The relaxation was withdrawn after a gap of 14 years.

According to the MHA guidelines, a foreigner is not encouraged to visit the protected areas unless there are “extraordinary reasons to justify a visit.”

The American citizens also worked with a number of non-government organisations in Bangladesh’s Chittagong area, the official said, raising suspicions about the purpose of their visit to Mizoram.

Earlier in March, Chief Minister Lalduhoma indicated that Western mercenaries who fought in the Russia-Ukraine war could be using his State as a passage to participate in the civil war in Myanmar.

Following this, the security of the Lengpui airport was handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on April 21.