China’s Migrant Problem

China’s hated household registration system, which ties people to their place of birth for most practical purposes and gives advantages in education, health care, work and other areas to those born in big cities, could be in for some big changes.

The central government plans a “massive reform” of the national hukou system as part of its upcoming five-year plan for development, the English-language Global Times newspaper reported Tuesday. The decades-old hukou system has been is widely criticized by rights groups as an official sanction of discrimination, particularly of those born in rural areas, where social benefits and opportunities are less.

The newspaper said the country's main labor union is calling for gradual reform, offering 4 million workers a year to change their registration papers. But any changes will likelu have major economic and societal impact on the country. China has 150-200 million domestic migrant workers (most not entitled to full social benefits where they live) and government officials have long feared that changing their status overnight would flood cities with farmers and overtax urban resources.