The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) announced it will put forward more relaxed policies regarding household registration, or hukou , and migration.

The MPS held a televised conference on January 28 to discuss plans for household registration reform.

According to a statement issued after the conference, four groups of people will be prioritized: rural residents entering cities to pursue higher education or joining the army; those who have worked and lived in cities and townships for over five years; and those who have moved to cities with their families.

The MPS said it will push relevant departments to introduce supporting policies, particularly policies protecting the rights of farmers when they change rural hukou  for urban.

Statistical work need to be improved to better reflect the urbanization rate in terms of population with urban hukou , according to the statement.

(Xinhua News Agency January 28, 2016)