Beijing evictions of migrant workers stir widespread anger

BEIJING — Nov 28, 2017, 11:30 PM ET ABC News

Last week, the city launched a 40-day campaign to clear out tenants from buildings deemed unsafe after a massive fire killed 19 people at apartments rented mainly by low-income Chinese migrant workers.

The eviction drive has been met with widespread anger and criticism online, with people saying it has laid bare the stark inequality in China that prevents poorer migrants who provide essential services in cities from enjoying the same status as the cities’ residents. Under China’s much-criticized household registration, or “hukou,” system, Chinese migrant workers who can’t obtain “hukou” in the cities they work in are often denied access to subsidized health care, education and social services.