Toronto/Beijing: – The ruling communist regime in China has tightened rules for citizens migrating from rural areas to cities. A Canadian study group has claimed that the new regulations, which will dishearten billions of people in rural areas, could cause social unrest in China. A few days ago, there were reports of growing public discontent over power shortages and the crisis in the real estate sector in China. Against this background, the new report could add to the concerns of the Chinese authorities.
Canada’s International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS) recently released a report. The report is titled ‘China‘s Hukou Brewing Social Unrest Among Rural Millions.’ It mentions the strict rules imposed by the Chinese regime on citizens migrating from rural to urban areas. The IFFRAS has said that the plan is to stop migrants from moving to megacities like Shanghai and Zhangzhou, including capital Beijing.
China has a licensing system called Hukou since 1950. The license is mandatory if a citizen of some village wants to go and settle in the city. Strict actions like fines, additional taxes and denial of social benefits are taken against those who do not have a license. Yet every year, millions of people from rural areas flock to the cities.
The floods in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou a few months ago highlighted the failure of the Chinese system. Therefore, the Chinese regime is taking various measures to control the population in the big cities, and the new rules for immigrants are said to be part of the same effort. The new rules give additional powers to local administrations. At the same time, migrants travelling to large cities such as the capital, Beijing, are required to have a master’s degree and skills in areas that are conducive to urban development.
However, the Canadian think tank has pointed out that the new criteria and the non-transparent stand of local administrations on the issue of migrants are posing a problem for people from rural areas. According to a report last year, the number of people migrating from rural areas to urban areas is around 500 million. IFFRAS has pointed out that if this is taken into consideration, the massive number of migrants from rural areas to cities in China every year becomes evident.
The number of people rushing to cities is increasing due to the lack of adequate facilities in rural China. But now, the ruling regime is trying to stop them too. According to the Canadian think tank, resentment against the ruling communist regime is growing in the rural areas. A report written by two professors at Peking University also has been cited while making this claim. According to the think tank, the professors advised the Chinese government to be transparent about Hukou.
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