Ineffective legal mechnism

"Unable to acquire information on their visa types and the contracts they signed made it difficult for us to help them settle the dispute," said Sun Bing, an officer with the public security bureau of Xiaogan.

He said that since self-guided tours to Russia have been allowed for citizens of the Chinese mainland, Chinese people can apply for a visa or sign a contract to work overseas in the provinces in which their hukou, or permanent household record, is registered.

"That's why we do not know when and where the 25 workers went abroad, or via which visa types," said Sun, who added that without this information, police cannot decide what party should be held responsible.

The Xiaogan Public Security Bureau and the Office of Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs had planned to carry out an investigation in Heilongjiang, the province from which the workers departed, but they could do nothing but contact the Chinese consulate to ensure the workers' safety and welfare.

Officials from various government departments have expressed similar concerns: Which department should be responsible for helping citizens working overseas when they face problems? Should the province where a worker's hukou is registered handle the problem? Or should the province where the company that hired the contract workers is located take the responsibility?

"There is no national regulation to answer these questions," said Zuo Mingxin, deputy director of the municipal commerce bureau.

Legal education needed

Working in Russia can be an enjoyable experience for contract workers, as reflected by lives of 32 workers from Yangdian county, Xiaogan city.

They work in the city of Blagoveshchensk, which borders the Chinese city of Heihe. Hired by a legal contract company, they can each earn over 130,000 yuan annually by working 10 hours a day on construction sites.

"We can even call our families through Chinese telecommunications services," said Liu Yinshan, who has worked in Russia for two years and plans to continue to do so.

Legal contract workers can ask their contract company for help when they encounter problems overseas. If a company employs illegal workers, the commerce bureau can suspend its license and impose a fine, said Zuo, the commerce official.

More than 1,000 Xiaogan residents work overseas through legal means, but others do not.

"Many followed their friends, families and neighbors to work overseas to make 'big' money illegally, but they lack the basic legal knowledge to know they will get in trouble in the end," said Sun Bing.

Experts say legal education for workers is urgently needed.

"The commerce bureau, customs and public security bureau should enhance legal education for people work or want to work in foreign countries," said Xu Guangjian, vice dean of the School of Public Administration and Policy in Renmin University of China.

He said setting up regular lectures on living and protecting one's legal interests in a foreign country are the first things the government should do, "so that workers know where to ask for help when they want to go abroad or when they face trouble in foreign countries."

Wu Gang, a professor at Beijing Administrative College, suggested the government support non-governmental organizations (NGO) for training and services for overseas laborers.

"Labor unions, industry associations and NGOs should all be encouraged, so the millions of Chinese workers overseas can learn to help each other and protect themselves," said Wu.