Migrants to face massive evictions

By Xu Fan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-25 07:50

As many as 1 million migrant workers will be asked to leave Chaoyang district in a major urbanization campaign that will half the area's total population, local government revealed.

The term "floating population" refers to residents living in a city but without the city's hukou, or permanent residence permit. Such groups normally include both white-collar workers and migrant workers from areas outside the city.

The registered population with a hukou in Chaoyang district is 1.8 million, at least 200,000 less than the floating population in the area, according to Chaoyang floating population administration office.

Data from the office said the floating population in rural areas has grown 10 percent annually since 2006.

"The influx of migrant workers has brought problems, such as social security and environmental pollution," said Ju Zhengyi, director of the office.

Ju said 40 villages would be registered in an urban land reserve system.

The urban land reserve system refers to the action of the local government reclaiming land tenure through various means that include purchasing and land acquisition. It then allows the land to be used in urban construction projects.

"Generally speaking, the government demolishes old and dirty constructions and develops new ones, to make the whole area look more like a modern city," said Ju. He added that the local government also plans to purchase land made available through the demolition of 12 villages last year.

"Native villagers will be moved into newly-built residential apartment buildings. Migrant workers might have to temporarily leave Chaoyang district to live in another district in the capital," he said.