Beijing's migrant population will be better managed and provided with more services as part of efforts to ensure a safe Olympic Games, said Wang Anshun, the city's deputy Party chief yesterday.
"With the rapid increase in the number of migrants, how to manage and serve them has become a key issue in the city's development and in the provision of a safe Games," Wang said at a national security working conference in Guangzhou.
To achieve its goal, the government must have a full picture of the situation, he said.
"We are conducting a comprehensive survey to find out how many migrants there are, what their backgrounds are and where they are living. More than 50,000 people are involved in it," Wang said.
Last year, the municipal government estimated there were about 5.3 million migrants in Beijing - about 30 percent of the population. Others, however, have said the number is much larger, as not all migrants register at police bureaus.
Migrants can pose security difficulties, an official said recently.
Miao Lin, director of the population management division of the city's police bureau, said migrants were responsible for more than 70 percent of all crime in Beijing.
As the Olympics approaches, experts have warned of terrorist attacks by people from outside the city or country.
Having a clear picture of the migrant population and information about the properties leased to them is very important to prevent attacks, as terrorists are usually not natives, said Boaz Ganor, founder of the Israel-based International Institute for Counter-Terrorism last month.
Wang also said yesterday that authorities were keen to provide better social services for migrant workers.
While the government has set up 4,000 support centers to help them find homes and work, more needs to be done in terms of job training and education, he said.
"About 70 percent of the 400,000 children of migrant people in Beijing go to public schools and enjoy the same education as their urban counterparts. That proportion will continue to rise," he said.
Last year, the government spent 80 million yuan ($11.4 million) on building roads, putting up lighting, renovating public toilets and regulating garbage disposal where migrants live, Wang said.
（英语点津 Celene 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing current affairs shows and documentaries.
