Financial crisis forces China´s migrants back home for work

Currently, there is no official number as to how many migrants returned to their hometowns in the financial crisis, but according to statistics released by some provincial governments, the "home rush" is of no small scale.

In east China's Jiangxi Province with 6.8 million farmers working outside the province, 300,000 returned home. In Anhui, the numbers are 8.2 million and 400,000 while in Hubei, 7 million and 700,000.

Although it is still more than one month to go before the annual "spring transportation", many railway stations were already full of migrants.

"Starting from last month, the number of passengers from Guangdong, Zhejiang and Fujian increased," said Qi Guijin, who worked in the railway station of Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi. The provinces he mentioned are in affluent east and south China.

"Such a homebound wave of people, if not handled properly, could lead to social problems," said an editorial in the Guangdong-based Zhujiang Evening News.

It cited the statistics by the National Development and Reform Commission showed that in the first six month this year, 67,000 small or medium-sized companies closed. In the second half of 2008,more followed suit. It is not known about the percentage of migrant workers in such companies, but the editorial believed that such a large number of closures would affect many migrant workers.

"Behind a migrant is a family which needs to be supported," it said, calling on local governments to address the issue.