Illegal immigration to China

The Chinese government actively discourages this type of behavior out of fears that it may cause instability in the region and encourage more illegal immigration.{{cite news|title= Beijing Increases Detentions of Illegal North Korean Immigrants|work=The New York Times|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/21/world/beijing-increases-detentions-of-illegal-north-korean-immigrants.html|access-date=2012-04-01}}

In 2003, campaigns against illegal immigration were conducted in Guangdong and other Chinese provinces, and around 2008, the police repeatedly conducted so-called "hurricane" campaigns against illegal immigration in Guangdong.{{Cite book|last=Habicht|first=Jasper|url=https://www.nomos-elibrary.de/index.php?doi=10.5771/9783748907817|title=The Role of Campaigns in Law Enforcement: The Example of Sanfei Campaigns in Chinese Immigration Law|publisher=Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft |year=2020 |series=Studies on the Law and Legal Culture of China |volume=9 |isbn=978-3-7489-0781-7|pages=155–160|doi=10.5771/9783748907817|s2cid=218955976 }}{{rp|155–160}}

{{further|Africans in Guangzhou}}

Since 2004 at the latest, illegal immigration has increasingly come into the focus of the police authorities in Guangzhou, primarily targeted against immigrants from African countries, and later throughout the country. In Guangzhou, a regulation has been in force since 2004 under which citizens are requested to report cases suspected of illegal immigration to the police, which can be rewarded with {{CNY|100}} for information that leads to successful expulsions.{{rp|73–74}}{{cite web |url=http://www.lifeofguangzhou.com/node_10/node_37/node_84/2010/08/18/128210399779463.shtml |title=Illegal Foreigners Cleared Away during Asian Games |publisher=Life of Guangzhou |date=2010-06-13 |access-date=2012-10-23 |archive-date=2012-07-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707084849/http://www.lifeofguangzhou.com/node_10/node_37/node_84/2010/08/18/128210399779463.shtml |url-status=dead }}

According to Reuters in 2009, there were as many as 100,000 Africans and Arabs in Guangzhou, mostly illegal overstayers.{{cite news |url= http://reuters.com/article/idUKTRE57K27U20090821 |title= Out of Africa and into China, immigrants struggle |first=James |last=Pomfret |publisher=Reuters |date=21 August 2009 |access-date=31 August 2020}}

In 2012, the legal framework on exit-entry administration was amended and the new regulations featured extended power of the local police in immigration issues, higher sanctions against illegal stay and illegal employment as well as revised rules regarding deportation.{{rp|80–88}}

{{further|China–North Korea border#Border security|Immigration to China#North Koreans}}

Illegal immigrants from North Korea have moved across the China–North Korea border to seek higher wages and escape repression.{{cite news|title= Illegal immigrants pour across border seeking work|work=Los Angeles Times|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-sep-19-la-fi-china-illegal-immigration-20100919-story.html|access-date=2012-04-01}}

The Chinese government transferred responsibility for managing the border to the army from the police in 2003.Foley, James. “China Steps Up Security on North Korean Border”, Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 November 2003. Chinese authorities began building wire fences "on major defection routes along the Tumen River" in 2003.Ng Gan Guan, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/16/AR2006101600289.html China Erects Fence Along N. Korea Border] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428181722/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/16/AR2006101600289.html |date=2018-04-28 }}, Associated Press (October 16, 2006). Beginning in September 2006, China erected a {{convert|20|km}} fence on the border near Dandong to prevent defectors and refugees from crossing the border into China.Kanto, Dick K. and Mark E. Manyin. [https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R41043.pdf China-North Korea Relations] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228173850/https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R41043.pdf |date=2017-12-28 }}, Congressional Research Service (December 28, 2010).{{cite web|url=http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2006/10/china-building-border-fence-facing.php |title=China building border fence facing North Korea |publisher=Jurist.law.pitt.edu |date=2006-10-17 |access-date=2012-10-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120820005602/http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2006/10/china-building-border-fence-facing.php |archive-date=2012-08-20 }}

File:Scenery at Can Cau - Lao Cai Province - Vietnam - 04 (48210742441).jpg, source of many illegal migrant workers to China]]

Significant numbers of Vietnamese, Cambodian and Burmese workers have been smuggled into China illegally to work low-skilled jobs for wages undercutting those of domestic workers and to fill vacancies left by Chinese migrant workers.{{cite news|title= Beijing plans curbs on number of foreigners working in China |work=Daily Telegraph|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7756638/Beijing-plans-curbs-on-number-of-foreigners-working-in-China.html|access-date=2012-04-01}}{{cite news|title= China's Immigration Problem|work=Forbes|url= https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/0719/opinions-china-immigration-illegal-aliens-heads-up.html|access-date=2012-04-01}} Thousands of Vietnamese from the poorer northern provinces move to China to work illegally each year.{{Cite web|url=http://vietnamnews.vn/society/462059/illegal-migration-to-china-hollows-norths-towns.html|title=Illegal migration to China hollows north's towns|website=vietnamnews.vn}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Immigration to China}}

{{World topic|Illegal immigration to|title=Illegal immigration by country|noredlinks=yes}}

Category:Immigration to China

China

China