Xinjiang reforms residence permit system for migrants

Migrants who plan to stay over 30 days in Urumqi should apply for a half-year residence permit that gives them almost equal rights and welfare as permanent residents and makes it easier for the authorities to carry out management work.

Over 110,000 people have already been granted residence permits, according to the city's public security bureau, local media reported Tuesday.

Urumqi, the capital city of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, has over 3.1 million residents, according to the 2010 census, and a migrant population of about 850,000.

It is an attempt to abolish the "temporary residency" registration system with a "residency" system that makes it easier to manage and track the migrant population, as well as a step toward giving migrants social welfare and conveniences similar to the hukou (household registration) holders, local authorities said.

Various cities already started experimenting with their own system a few years ago. Xinjiang started similar measures in October.

The residence permit will contain the holder's basic information and is valid throughout Xinjiang for six months, or can be upgraded to a two-year permit. The permit holder will no longer need to apply for a temporary residence permit whenever they move to a new location, but can just update the information when reporting to a new community.

With the permit, migrants will be able to enjoy the same social insurance, compulsory education for their children, and similar rights for housing and medical care.

"The intention of such permits should be to give people, no matter where they are from, equal treatment," said Hu Xingdou, a professor of economics at the Beijing Institute of Technology.

As migrant populations make up larger parts of a city's population, conflicts between locals and migrants over resources and social welfare are also becoming more prominent.

The temporary residency system has often been criticized for treating migrants unfairly. Migrants in Beijing, for instance, face more obstacles in buying houses or cars.

Many migrants are reluctant to apply for a temporary residence permit as it does not benefit the holder, which consequently makes it difficult for public security officials to keep track of and manage the migrant population.

"The police often don't know who are living in their communities and it might cause a problem in fighting crime," said Hu. "In this sense, the new system would help the authorities maintain public security and social stability."