Perspective Discover Public Health (2024) 21:153 | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-024-00295-7 As of July 2024, over 3.2 million Myanmar civilians have been internally displaced due to intensified conflict across the country since the military coup in February 2021 [4]. Meanwhile, the Myanmar military has indeed restricted humanitarian support for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Chin State and across the country, exacerbating the already dire situation for civilians caught in the conflict. These restrictions have led to shortages of food, medicine, and other basic necessities for IDPs in Myanmar [5]. Hence, many individuals fleeing the country to seek asylum in neighbouring countries for safe and secure protection, particularly in India, Thailand, and Malaysia. Moreover, an estimated 18.6 million individuals in Myanmar are expected to require humanitarian aid, with numerous individuals grappling with the consequences of conflict and insecurity as well as the risk of civilian safety and protection [6]. Moreover, escalating inflation exacerbates the situation by hindering people’s capacity to fulfil their basic needs. The World Bank reported that Myanmar’s economy was approximately 10% less than it was in 2019, making it the only economy in East Asia that has yet to recover to its pre-pandemic levels of economic activity, as well as consumer prices rising by almost 29% in the 12 months ending June 2023 [7]. The economic downturn adversely affected the living conditions of the individuals residing there because of the military’s restrictions on delivering humanitarian aid and transporting essential supplies. Furthermore, the ongoing conflict and the military’s indiscriminate attacks on civilians, along with the violation of human rights, have caused many individuals to seek refuge in search of safety in neighbouring countries, such as India and Thailand. This research examines the Indian Government’s response to Myanmar refugees following the military coup in Myanmar as well as the consequent impact on refugees residing in India. The investigation draws upon media and governmental reports published from February 2021 onwards. The objective of this analysis is to investigate the impact of Indian Government’s response to Myanmar refugees in India subsequent to the military coup on their legal status, rights, and well-being , with the aim of proposing policy recommendations for better support and protection of them. 2 India’s government response to Myanmar refugees As of 2023, India has been home to more than 78,731 refugees from Myanmar since the military coup because of its indiscriminate attacks on civilians in Chin State, Myanmar, which shares a long border with the country [8]. In Mizoram State, India alone accommodated over 40,000 individuals, whereas in Manipur, more than 8250 refugees were sheltered [9]. This number appears to have risen significantly because of the ongoing and intense conflicts in 2024. Conversely, the Indian government has not ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention, which serves as the principal legal document defining refugee status, delineating the rights of refugees, and outlining the legal obligations of states. For instance, Article 1 of the Refugee Convention defines a refugee as a person with a well-founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, and the five so-called d ‘convention reasons. To be protected by the Refugee Convention, a person must be stateless or outside the country of his or her nationality and be unable to receive the protection of that country. Moreover, the Indian government has not ratified the 1967 Protocol which removes these geographic and time-based limitations, expanding the 1951 Convention to apply universally and protect all persons fleeing conflicts and persecution. A country’s non-ratification of either the Convention or Protocol means that it is not bound by specific obligations in these treaties. In this regard, the Indian government has not classified asylum seekers from Myanmar as refugees and instead labelled them as "illegal migrants.” This lack of signature has impeded the efforts of the UNHCR and other international organizations to provide relief services, exacerbating the safety and humanitarian crisis in borderland refugee camps. Furthermore, the Indian government directed state administrations, especially those in Mizoram and Manipur states in the Indo-Burman region, to secure borders to halt refugee influx from Myanmar. 2.1 Mizoram’s welcoming stance Mizoram State of India has emerged as a refuge for many people fleeing violence in Myanmar, as the government opted not to close the border to Myanmar refugees and instead proposed the establishment of approximately 160 temporary refugee camps in border regions, as many refugees came from Chin communities who had ethnic ties with the Mizo people and were independent of the British division [10, 11]. The Mizo and Chin peoples exhibit a close ethnic and cultural affiliation with historical connections that antedate British colonial governance. The advent of the British colonial administration in the late nineteenth century resulted in the artificial demarcation of these closely related ethnic groups. The delineation of borders between British India and Burma (Myanmar), with Mizo Vol:.(1234567890)