Bad apples create headaches for 'good' foreigners

(Ecns.cn)--The Beijing government is increasing efforts against the illegal entry, residence and employment of foreigners in a 100-day campaign that has been in effect since May 15.

The crackdown follows recent cases of a British man assaulting a girl in the capital and a Russian musician cursing at a Chinese woman onboard a train who was displeased about where he propped his feet.

The British man, a tourist with a valid visa, was detained on May 8 after being beaten by several men, a scene that was caught on camera and broadcast online. The Russian cellist, Oleg Vedernikov, was later fired by the Beijing Symphony Orchestra.

The government has dismissed any suggestions that the campaign is linked to those incidents, yet Bao Shengyong, a transnational immigration expert and director of the Center for Overseas Research at the Central University of Finance and Economics, pointed out that they may have served as a catalyst.

Statistics show that China is attracting an ever-increasing number of foreigners interested in work opportunities. A total of 54.12 million foreigners entered and left China in 2011, nearly 10 million more than 2006.

According to the Beijing Morning Post, which quoted police authorities, there are on average almost 200,000 foreigners in Beijing on any given day—including long-term residents and short-term visitors.

As the foreign population in China booms, so do illegal employment, entry and residence, which are the main targets of the campaign, according to Lin Song, a police officer in charge.

Foreigners living in the capital need an official residence permit, and those working in Beijing must have a visa that allows them to do so. But some do odd jobs on tourist visas, which is considered illegal in China, the Beijing Morning Post was quoted.

"We'll check passports and accommodation registrations in areas where foreigners gather in the capital," and "we will enforce the rule and make sure that every foreigner knows that," Lin told China Daily.

Among the locations he mentioned specifically were Sanlitun, an area popular for its shops, bars and restaurants in Chaoyang District, and universities in Haidian District, explained China Daily.

Lin added that authorities have asked police across the city to publicize the campaign to foreign residents by publishing notices in communities and engaging in face-to-face conversations. They have also asked colleges in Haidian to inform foreign students. "In the meantime, we'll invest more police officers to do more checks in hotels, at embassies and customs checkpoints," he said.

The Beijing Morning Post quoted police as saying that foreigners caught in the crackdown would be fined or detained, and may also be ordered to leave China.

"In serious circumstances that constitute a crime, they will be held criminally responsible in accordance with the law," the police said.

According to exit-entry statistics, Beijing was home to almost 120,000 foreigners at the end of 2011, and has reported 13,000 cases of illegal entry, employment and residence concerning aliens from more than 100 countries since 2008.

Although data from the Ministry of Public Security show that 80 percent of foreigners identified as illegally residing in China do not initially intend to do so, "the issue still needs attention," Lin Song noted.

"Some foreigners, whose visas expired, couldn't afford tickets back to their countries and were afraid to find normal jobs in China. Instead, they committed crimes," Lin explained to China Daily.

The deeper causes of the problem lie in the imperfect legal system, inadequate government supervision and existence of illegal intermediary agents, analyzed China Newsweek.

The magazine revealed that there are more than 10 such agents in Beijing, charging 5,000-30,000 yuan for their illegal services, including fabricating diplomas and IDs and applying for work and residence permits.

Josh, a reporter with The Wall Street Journal, said that comparatively speaking, foreigners can make a living and find a job in China easily thanks to a small yet powerful industry chain, which is able to help foreigners enter and exit the country without official permission.

Wang Lin, vice head of the Exit and Entry Administration in Chengdu, told China Newsweek in an interview on May 20 that China's laws and regulations concerning foreigners should be adjusted to cope with the current situation.

In response, the Exit & Entry Administration Department of the Ministry of Public Security has drafted a law on the control of exit and entry of foreigners, and is also making efforts to put it into practice, added China Newsweek.

Wang also suggested that the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, which is responsible for issuing work permits for foreigners, and the Ministry of Public Security should improve communications and cooperate with each other in cracking down on illegal behavior by foreigners.