Hordes of illegal workers crossing China's borders

• Source: Global Times
• [02:14 July 12 2010]
• Comments

"It is really difficult to find the exact number of illegal migrants from other countries, but most of them are from South Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa," Gu Hong, an official of the Guangzhou Entry and Exit Administration Department, told the Global Times.

Gu Hong told the Global Times that most Vietnamese workers in Guangdong are illegal migrants and some remain in Guangdong after their work visas expire.

After becoming familiar with life in China, they always encourage their friends and relatives to follow them here.

It is difficult for illegal workers from Southeast Asia and African countries to get into China, but people from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos can easily cross over a long border with many openings and smuggling routes for contraband goods and migrant laborers.

"They are taken across the border by human traffickers and kept under wraps once they arrive, so although the authorities intensify the fight against illegal migrants, completely stopping them is a mission impossible," Chen Xinhao, a lawyer and immigration expert with the Beijing-based Yuecheng Law Firm, told the Global Times.

Although China's new labor law requires factories to offer contracts to workers, many migrants have only casual employment agreements that allow the factories to lay them off without warning.

According to the Law on Control of the Entry and Exit of Aliens, anyone who illegally employs foreign workers will be subject to a maximum fine of 50,000 yuan ($7,383).

"The fine is a small sum, which doesn't effectively prevent illegal migrants from working in China," Chen said.

Cross-border relations

Some experts suggest China to work with neighboring countries to make it legal for foreigners to work here, or live here to pursue their careers.

Wu Miaoling, 22, a Vietnamese student studying at Guangxi University for Nationalities, said in an interview with the Global Times that she would prefer to stay in China after graduation.

"In China, I have more opportunities and can earn more money as an interpreter or a tour guide," Wu said.

She said that recent university graduates in Vietnam can expect to earn around 1000- 1,500 yuan ($148-$221) in monthly salary for an entry-level job, but in China, the same job would pay 3,000-5,000 yuan ($443-$738) a month.

Chen Tiejun, from the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, the Yunan Academy of Social Sciences, said foreigners should be able to work legally.

"The reasonable entry of foreign labor would increase competitiveness in the region and help improve the market," Chen told the Global Times. "But all the entry procedures should be legal, because it's a must to maintain a sound social order and working environment."

He said there should be cooperation between China and the countries where the workers originate.