China promises rights to 13 million unregistered citizens
Many of them were children born in violation of the country’s one-child policy, and will get previously denied access to housing, healthcare and education.
Chinese state media have reported that China will now allow millions of unregistered citizens the rights to residence, medical access, education and other basic needs. News agency Xinhua put the number of unregistered people in China at 13 million. Many of these were the parents who flouted China’s strict one-child policy and their children. Hukou, or household registration permits, are required to get access to basic rights including healthcare and education.
Xinhua also said that China plans to merge its urban and rural medical insurance schemes, as the current rural scheme is very backward when compared with the urban one. The government in October had announced a new two-child rule. However, The Guardian reported that new policies are yet to be implemented on the ground, going by local reports.