The Law on Capital City that has just been approved by the National Assembly will help to slash migrant numbers to the Hanoi by one million people within the next five years, said a municipal official.
In an interview with reporters on the sidelines of a National Assembly session on November 21, Hanoi's Party Secretary Pham Quang Nghi said the approval of the law was good news for Hanoi, claiming it would help reduce migration to the city.
Hanoi's Party Secretary Pham Quang Nghi
The estimated decline would help in ensuring jobs, accommodation, social security and education for those moving to the city, as provision had been a major problem, he added.
The National Assembly finally approved the Law on Capital City on November 21 despite 106 deputies opposing the law’s regulations on restricting choice of movement. They worried that the rule would create conditions for bribery to flourish as new migrants attempted to secure permanent residency.
Regarding the deputies’ worry, Mr. Nghia said, “Without its strict implementation, any policy can be taken advantage of. In the past, during subsidised economy period when immigration was tightly controlled, social problems still happened. The problems depend on the responsibility of people who carry out the policies as well as how efficiently the policies are implemented, not the regulations themselves.”
According to the official, the city would conduct surveys to define an average minimum accommodation area per capita at present and use this to create a basic framework to set limits on acceptable living conditions.
“The stricter immigration rules are aimed to help ensure minimum living conditions for people. Those people who move to the city should not be left behind to deal with problems such as study and health care services themselves,” he emphasised.
The Law on Capital City will take effect from July 1, 2013. Under the law, people who are qualified to move to Hanoi’s inner-city areas must have temporary residence registration in the city for at least for three consecutive years. They must also have their own house or rent a house from an individual or agency that has legal housing registration. The average size of their accommodation will be regulated by the city People’s Council.
