Report claims many enter, live, and work illegally

Guangzhou, capital city of Guangdong Province, has become the largest gathering place for African immigrants in Asia, with an African population estimated at more than 200,000, most of whom are illegal immigrants, according to a report issued by Guangzhou Developmental Academy of Guangzhou University.

The report, which was released on Thursday, however, didn't identify the source of the figure, Guangzhou-based Nandu Daily reported.

The report echoed China's sixth national census in 2010 which indicated that Guangdong has the most foreigners among all Chinese provincial-level regions.

The latest report said that Africans accounted for around half of Guangzhou's entire mobile foreign population and they mainly live in Yuexiu, Baiyun, Haizhu and Panyu districts.

"Nearly 80 percent of the residents around Xiaobei Road [in Yuexiu district] are from Africa," said Lu, who rents a retail shop property in Tianxiu mansion, a landmark building on Xiaobei Road. She told the Global Times that most business runners in the mansion were Chinese when it was built in 2000, but now the majority of the shops there were run by Africans. "African businessmen often offer better bargains which pushed many Chinese businessmen out."

Earlier this month, a report on the Japanese news site ZAKZAK said that more than 300,000 Africans are illegally living in Guangzhou, resulting in a wide variety of crimes and friction with local residents.

The latest report pointed out that the majority of these Africans had been staying in the country illegally, referring to them as "sanfei," literally "three illegals," meaning those entering, staying and working illegally in China.

In 2007, the Guangdong police caught 7,000-plus sanfeiforeigners and the next year the figure rose to 13,000. Africans accounted for quite a high percentage of these foreigners, said the police.

According to the latest report, sanfeiforeigners' crime rate has been on a sharp rise in Guangzhou, with drug cases accounting for nearly 60 percent.

Since December 2012, the Guangzhou police have arrested more than 300 Africans involved in drug trafficking activities.

In addition, Africans have been organizing demonstrations and protests in Guangzhou. In July 2009, more than 100 Africans surrounded a police station in Yuexiu district and in June 2012, several hundred Africans held a demonstration in Yuexiu district.

The report suggested that given that underground visa agencies provided vital support for many of the Africans with the necessary documents like an invitation from a Chinese work unit, relevant government organizations should start getting tough on the cracking down on these agencies.

It said authorities should also establish regular and active contact with the commercial chambers or societies of different foreign groups to strengthen supervision of them.