China (see also South Korea)

Factories face labor shortages; legal aid, housing, schools for migrants

Labor shortages spell trouble for various small and medium-sized factories in South China, particularly those in the toys and garments industries. Since the Lunar New Year, enterprises could not expand due to labor shortage, intense competition and unstable industrial structures. About 95 percent of employees in these factories are migrant workers.

China Legal Aid Foundation reported that by the end of March almost 150,000 rural migrant workers in China sought legal aid from several law institutes, which had handled a total of 5,148 lawsuits, involving more than 12,000 migrant workers. These institutes also launched law awareness campaigns among rural migrant workers.

A local public forum stressed the need to initiate housing projects for rural migrant workers near Shenzhen City. Professor Qin Hui, a guest speaker at the forum, said housing projects provide rural workers with municipal welfare. They are part of the success of China’s cities, yet they do not have permanent homes in these cities and are not even allowed to rent houses. Some are even forced to live in temporary factory dormitories. It is estimated that there are almost 140 million rural migrant workers in China’s cities.

China’s Red Cross launched on 30 April a one-million yuan ($143,000) project to aid the construction of eight migrant children’s schools in the country’s major cities. Sponsored by PepsiCo Limited in China, the program will also provide scholarships for top students and will build libraries and sports facilities. The All-China Women’s Federation said children who move to the cities with their parents often face troubles with educational costs and adjusting to the environment.

Refugee concerns

China repatriated 15 refugees – Iraqis, Sri Lankans, Pakistanis – this year in a “security sweep” before the Beijing Olympics, a representative from the UNHCR said. The latest case involved a 17-year-old Pakistani boy who was taken from his home in Beijing on 3 April and was immediately deported. The boy was a recognized refugee under international law. China recently signed the agreement with the UN to protect refugees and asylum seekers in the country.

In related news, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom urged China to stop repatriating North Koreans as they may face persecution back home. The commission’s report entitled “Prison without Bars,” revealed that repatriated North Korean refugees were severely punished back home, and those who converted to Christianity were given harsher penalties. China treats North Korean refugees as economic migrants and forcibly repatriates them. The report affirmed that North Koreans in China have sufficient evidence to qualify as refugees under international standards.

Sources: Qiu Quanlin, “Labor shortages hit factories,” China Daily, 7 April 2008; Reuters, “China deporting refugees ahead of Olympics, says UN,” Dawn, 9 April 2008; Zhang Ming’ai, “Rural migrant workers need housing,” China.org, 14 April 2008; “China ‘must not return N Koreans’,” BBC News, 16 April 2008; “China slammed over ‘grave’ crisis facing N.K. refugees,” The Korea Herald, 16 April 2008; Xinhua, “Legal aid offices help 150,000 rural Chinese migrant workers,” People’s Daily Online, 28 April 2008; Xinhua, “Red Cross China launches new aid program for migrant children,” People’s Daily Online, 30 April 2008