Now, more and more rural workers come to the cities to find jobs.
Some settle there for hard work and to save money and it would seem
that these rural workers have been adopted by the cities. But the
reality shows that there is also an invisible door by which migrant
workers can be rejected.
Deng Shuquan and his wife Li Shufen used to be farmers in Yongfu
Village, Hailun City. In 1986, they moved and settled in Mudanjiang
City, east of Heilongjiang Province, with their one year-old baby.
Sixteen years have passed, and Deng's family is now living a
well-off life through the couple's hardwork and frugality. Though
they have bought an apartment and have 100,000 yuan (US$12,095)
savings, they are still puzzled by the "three worries" for the
migrant workers.
First worry: their daughter is 17 now but doesn't have hukou
(registered permanent residence).
Deng went back to Hailun City last Spring Festival to apply for an
ID card for his daughter. However, he couldn't find his daughter's
hukou in the police office. Moreover, he couldn't find his own
hukou. A policeman told him, "Your hukou registration was canceled
as you left here a long time ago." Deng feels unsure though he has
got the ID card for his daughter with 400 yuan (US$48). Deng said,
"It is ok for me if I don't have the hukou. How can my daughter
further her education and marry without the hukou? She is young.
"
Second worry: they can't acquire the title to a property of their
own without local hukou.
Deng Shuquan and his family moved 10 times until they bought their
own house in 1996. When they went to the relevant department to
apply for their housing property right, an official told them that
they could have the title to their house property if they have a
local hukou. So they asked their cousin for help. With the cousin's
hukou they acquired a title to their housing property, but the
property was named in the cousin's name.
Third worry: they can't buy insurance without local hukou.
Deng Shuquan works as a porter in a state owned company since 1988.
In 1996 the company bought insurance for Deng. But the insurance
contract was suddenly canceled by the insurance company and money
was sent back in 2001. The insurance company told Deng's unit that
they couldn't sell insurance to migrant workers. Then, Deng tried
to buy medical treatment insurance for his wife and child, but
there was no insurance company who would like to do business with
him. Some insurance companies even claim in public that it is
asking for trouble to sell insurance to rural workers because they
know little about nutrition and sanitation.
It
is simple for urban residents to apply for hukou for their
children; they write their names on their own housing property
paper, and can also buy insurance. But these remain three worries
for the rural migrants. Their hometown becomes a memory to them,
and an invisible door separates them from the cities. Just as Deng
said, "I have to remind myself every minute that I am the one who
came from the countryside."
Encouraging farmers to work in cities, decreasing population in
agriculture, increasing farmers' incomes, and improving farmers'
living conditions are policies adopted by central government to
solve farmers' problems. Time has proved that these policies are
effective. Why then do these migrant workers not enjoy the good
national treatment in the cities? Who set the invisible door that
separates the farmers from the cities?
For another example, many elementary schools and middle schools
reject migrant children, or ask migrant workers to pay higher
education fees. It has departed from the policy of a nine-year
compulsory education for all. How can migrant children grow up
healthy and care-free? This is man-made discrimination.
Cities should be more tolerant. People can find greater development
opportunities in a tolerant city. Rural people not only give their
labor to cities, but also fuel national consumption. There is no
reason to set up an exit door to discourage migrant workers from
going to cities.
(China.org.cn by Wu Nanlan July 17, 2003)