What is the Free Movement Regime?

Sept. 24, 2023

Manipur Chief Minister recently said that his government has urged the Union Home Ministry to cancel the free movement regime along the India-Myanmar border and complete its fencing.

About Free Movement Regime:

Under the FMR, all the hill tribes, whether they are citizens of India or Myanmar, can travel within 16 km on either side of the Indo-Myanmar Border (IMB).
They can cross the border by producing a border pass with a one-year validity issued by the competent authority and can stay up to two weeks per visit.
The FMR was implemented in 2018 as part of the Central government’s Act East policy.
FMR is implemented by both governments for the people living along the IMB.
This helps locals to get more culturally assimilated with trans-border villages through weddings, celebrating common festivals together and trans-border trade.
It is a reflection of the physical, ethnic, linguistic, cultural and fraternal linkages among the trans-border villagers.
Indo-Myanmar Border (IMB):
- It runs for 1,643 km in the four states of Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.
- It runs from the tripoint with China in the north to the tripoint with Bangladesh in the south.
- Assam Rifles is tasked with guarding the IMB.