China plans to abolish its temporary residence permit and simultaneously overhaul its household registration system or Hukou.

Chinese authorities said the highly criticized temporary residence permits will be replaced with permanent residency permits.

Temporary residence permits were issued to hundreds of millions of Chinese migrant workers, as they seek to live and work in a new city.

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But the problem is, by holding temporary residence permits they are not allowed access to benefits and social services local residents get.

Beijing is one of several cities in China that still use temporary residence permits.  Many others have ended the use of the system.

The reform plan suggests the scrapping of temporary permits will allow migrant workers to gain instant access to services and social welfare.

Under the household registration system of Hukou, a person's residential status dictates the level of access to services that one enjoys.

Local residents enjoy benefits in healthcare and social security, are able to buy apartments and cars and have access to public services while most migrant workers do not enjoy the same benefits.  Their children often struggle to get an education, with some being left in the rural areas, to be raised by grandparents or other relatives.

Now, according the reform plan, permanent residence holders will be able to receive many if not all the benefits local residents get.  But the level of public services than can be accessed by residents will now depend on their duration of stay in the city.   

In 2003, Sun Zhigang was subjected to a random check in one of the streets in Guangzhou.  After finding out that he had no ID card and hadn't applied for a permit, the police considered him a beggar and brought him to an asylum. He was later beaten to death.

The incident triggered a nationwide debate.  Critics said bringing people without identification cards or residence permits to asylum is unconstitutional and a clear violation of a person's freedom.

The reform plan also wants public security departments to process permanent residence registration and ID card application, even if the applicants are still not living in the cities they are applying residency for.

Tagschinese migrants, residence permit