A/HRC/17/34/Add.1 no contract and to be in the lowest paid group.58 In addition, internal migrants are less likely to have savings59 and more than half report unstable income.60 The dire housing situation of many migrants has been exacerbated by the recent increase in urban living expenses, which has not been matched by an equivalent increase in wages. Although migrants are more susceptible to health risks due to the prevalence of unhygienic and unsafe housing, the likelihood of using a health facility when sick is 19 per cent lower for internal migrants because of a lack of health insurance and low income.61 55. This situation is partly due to the requirement to participate in household registration systems. Only around 11 per cent of internal migrants register for a permanent residential permit at the new living location, and 47 per cent register for a temporary residential permit.62 Despite efforts of the Government to simplify registration systems, there is evidence that they still present a systemic institutional barrier for internal migrants in accessing both basic and specialized Government services. This has worrying consequences for the perpetuation of poverty. During her visit, the independent expert received information that non-permanent resident children are only allowed to attend schools in their district of residence if there is space after permanent resident children have enrolled. Because of the undersupply of schools in many urban areas, some migrant children are therefore unable to enrol.63 56. The Government has recognized the need to adapt the procedures and hence the new Law on Residence took effect in 2007, yet temporary and unregistered migrants continue to face a burdensome and not uniformly implemented system for registration across the country.64 The independent expert’s interactions with communities living in poverty confirmed that there is limited understanding about registration procedures and temporary unregistered migrants face significant challenges in the use of services. 57. It is clear that migrants from rural to urban areas will continue to play a central role in the rapid economic growth of Viet Nam, and their rights and those of their families, especially their rights to an adequate standard of living, education, health and housing, must be guaranteed. The lack of accurate information about urban migrants and of adequate services to respond to this new reality risks exposing an increasingly large group to poverty. 58. The independent expert therefore urges the Government to further assess the situation of all migrants or temporary residents and adopt appropriate measures to immediately remove administrative barriers that render their access to social services difficult. Moreover, if the estimates of uncounted temporary residents are accurate, it is also clear that a speedy expansion of social services in urban areas is required. IV. Social security (protection) 59. Considering that one of the main focal points of the work of the independent expert has been a human rights-based analysis of social protection, the following section addresses existing initiatives related to the promotion of social protection in Viet Nam and proposes additions or improvements to them. Following the interpretation of the United Nations 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 World Bank, Vietnam Development Report 2008: Social Protection, pp. 36-7. UNFPA, Internal Migration in Viet Nam: The Current Situation (2007), p. 20. World Bank, Vietnam Development Report 2008: Social Protection, p. 38. UNFPA, The 2004 Viet Nam Migration Survey: Migration & Health, 2006, p. 86. Viet Nam MDG National Report 2010, p. 117. United Nations, Internal Migration and Socio-Economic Development in Viet Nam: A Call to Action, 2010, p. 7. Idem. 15