This article uses semi-structured in-depth interviews with rural-urban migrants in Tianjin to look at the personal circumstances of such migrants in China. The interviews suggest that, unlike their predecessors in previous years, many rural-urban migrants now come with the intention of settling down. While there have been major policy changes in the last five years, these migrants are still, in many respects, not integrated into urban society. Meeting these challenges would require further changes in urban policies and urban society, taking account of the needs and interests of rural-urban migrants. © The 2006 Author(s) Journal Compilation © 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

China Social exclusion Social provision Tianjin Rural-urban migrants social insurance

migration