With the growth in urbanization, more and more migrant workers are now living and working in China’s cities than ever before.

Many are also choosing to bring their children with them. However, it’s not easy for them to settle down.

CCTV’s Ning Hong reports from Beijing.

Dongba is a neighborhood in northeast Beijing with a high proportion of migrant workers. They come from all over the country, hoping to settle down here, but many find the going challenging, especially those with children.

A parent requires a certificate of stable residency and a job to get their children enrolled in a public school. However, for migrant workers who move constantly around the city, this is extremely difficult and, as a result, they often choose illegal private schools.

The neighborhood is in a very old part of the city, and the facilities there are coming under increasing pressure. Beijing is drawing up policies to move residents from its central areas, so many of these neighborhoods will soon be gone.

Many decide to leave their children at home, while working here to make a living for their family. But eventually they will go back too. For them, the city is just a place to work, not home.