The Chinese government, in a bid to combat terror attacks, has passed new regulations that will require Xinjiang residents to hand in their identification cards if ever they would need to travel outside the country.

According to a BBC News, with the new laws put in place, the residents of the region will now be required to submit their identification documents for "safe keeping."

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"All residents must now apply for permission to leave the country before they can retrieve their passports," Stephen McDonell, a Beijing-based BBC reporter, said.

The region, which is home to 23 million, is home to more than 11 million Uyghurs, a Muslim community.

The Financial Times reported that the new regulations were not well received by China's online community.

"Do people have human rights or not? Can't the government just let us live an easier life?" read one Weibo post.

Chinese authorities have taken several steps in the region in recent years to combat the growth of religious extremism. Some of these moves have been interpreted as a clamp down on the religious rights of Uyghurs. For example, civil servants in the region are not allowed to grow beards as is common in the Muslim community.

In a report by the World Uyghur Congress, the group said that they were in strong disagreement with the governing bodies of the region in regard to the new regulations presented.

"Although the regulations ostensibly target all residents, Chinese authorities in the past have taken clear steps to limit mobility rights for the Uyghur community in particular," the report said.

Tagschina, Xinjiang, Uyghur Community, World Uyghur Congress