Facts and Figures

IOM Member State Capital: Buenos Aires Population (2011): 40.8 million Area: 2.8 million sq km Major Language: Spanish Currency: Argentine Peso (ARS) GDP per Capita PPP (2010): USD 16,012 HDI Rank (2011): 45 of 187 Remittances (2011 estimate): USD 684 million Population under 15 (2011): 24.7% Net Migration Rate (2010-2015): 0.1 migrants / 1,000 population Adult HIV Prevalence (2009): 0.5%
Sources and Definitions More Facts and Figures
Immigrants (2010): 3.6% Women as a Percentage of Immigrants (2010): 53.4% Population under 15 (2010): 24.9% Adult HIV Prevalence (2007): 0.5% Remittances from Argentina (2009): USD 701 million Number of Immigrants (2010): 1,449,293 Number of Emigrants (2010): 956,800 Emigrants as a Percentage of the Population (2010): 2.4% Refugees as Percentage of Immigrants (2010): 0.2% Top 10 Countries of Origin (2010): Paraguay, Bolivia, Italy, Chile, Spain, Uruguay, Peru, Brazil, Poland, Germany Top 10 Destination Countries (2010): Spain, United States, Chile, Paraguay, Israel, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, Canada, Italy

Latest News

• New IOM Publication Analyzes South American Migration Flows to Spain and Changes in the Country's Migration Policy and Management
• Vulnerability of Migrants in Argentina Discussed in a Series of Seminars
• New Life for IOM Programme Assisting Migrant Children in Buenos Aires Slums
• Latest Migration Trends, Return of Diasporas and Regional Integration, Discussed this Week at the International Migration in the 21st Century Conference in Argentina
• IOM Project in Argentina Changes the Lives of Migrant Children and their Families

Overview

Argentina has primarily been a destination for migration, but in the last decades it has become as well the origin of migratory flows to Europe and the United States.

At the beginning of the 20th century and until the 50s, immigration flows were predominantly from the South of Europe. When it declined, Argentina became a magnet for workers from its neighbours. Together with Venezuela, Argentina has attracted the largest numbers of migrants in the region. Argentina, which is second only to Brazil in size and population in South America, has 1,531,940 immigrants (2001 figures), most of them coming from Latin American countries, mainly Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay and Brazil.

Besides the immigration phenomena, in the late 90s a new, large group of Argentineans left the country towards, preferentially, North America and Europe, integrated by middle class members and highly skilled people who emigrated to the United States, Spain, Italy, Israel, Brazil, Chile, Canada and Australia, on account of the lack of opportunities and the absence of satisfactory conditions of living. The number of emigrants increased quickly as a consequence of the contraction of Argentina's labour market and the rise in unemployment, underemployment and poverty. In addition to this segment, stimulated by the 2001-2002 economic and social crises, there is evidence of return migration to bordering countries and Peru. As time went by and Argentine economy recovered, the emigration of nationals decreased and the return process of Argentine citizens living abroad grew. At present, the number of Argentineans living overseas is 806,369 (2008) people.

The Migration Law of the Argentine Republic (2004) is the legal framework of migration policy. It includes high standards for the protection of migrant rights and it is the basis for the implementation of public policies aimed at their integration. Among other measures, it envisages that all foreigners have rights to health and education, regardless of their migration situation. Furthermore, the state guarantees the right to family reunion of migrants with their parents, spouses and children. It also gives origin to the mechanisms making possible the access to a regular migrant status.

In 2006, the Government launched the National Programme of Migrant Regularization, “Patria Grande”, which facilitates to every citizen from a member of Mercado Comun del Sur (MERCOSUR, Common Market of the South) or associated country to obtain the regular residence in Argentina, through a procedure based solely on the nationality of the applicant and their lack of a criminal record.

Another phenomenon which has been recently on the rise is human trafficking. Cases involve nationals being trafficked for sexual exploitation abroad, especially in European Union countries, and migrant children of Argentine or foreign nationality trafficked for labour and sexual exploitation purposes.

Migration Health

IOM Buenos Aires conducts studies on health issues affecting migrants. Current projects include the Survey on the Sexual and Reproductive Rights in the Migrant Population in Buenos Aires City, and Derechos y HIV – Prevención de la Transmisión Vertical.

The first project involves a qualitative survey in Buenos Aires City, which investigates the habits, behaviours and beliefs of the migrant population regarding sexual and reproductive health, and the situation of access to public health services, according to the users themselves and health professionals as well. The overall objective is to provide information to adjust the public health services for the migrant population and the demand for resources. The information collected will be compared to the base line of the National Program of Sexual and Reproductive Health, and will provide the necessary data to develop state policies in sexual and reproductive health, integrating the migrant population needs to the national public health policy. The project, which began in March 2008, is implemented in cooperation with two NGOs – Observatorio Social and Fundación para Estudio e Investigación de la Mujer (FEIM).

The second project is a quali-quantitative study involving a series of activities aimed at diminishing HIV vertical transmission in patients assisted for their delivery labour at the Hospital Piñero Maternity Section (Buenos Aires), out of whom around 50 per cent are migrants. These activities include training workshops, surveys, and applying preventive measures. The Hospital External Medical Offices and eight Primary Attention Health Centres of the city were evaluated as well.

Main Projects

• Survey on the Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Migrant Population in Buenos Aires city
• Derechos y HIV – Prevención de la Transmisión Vertical

Migration and Development

In the area of migration and development, IOM Buenos Aires is implementing the "Recuperar Project" which seeks to prevent and eradicate child labour in migrant families, especially favoring those who have to resort to waste recovery and recycling. This is done through improving life conditions and incomes of adults, promoting and strengthening children's rights both within families and the community, and the regularizing the migrant conditions of participating families.

Main Projects

• "Recuperar" Project: Preventing and Eradicating Child Labour in Migrant Families, Especially Favoring Those Working in Waste Recovery and Recycling

Regulating Migration

IOM Buenos Aires assists victims of trafficking in the Southern Cone by means of a multiple intervention strategy that includes protection, return and reinsertion of victims. The project also seeks to provide assistance in the return and reintegration of victims of trafficking by means of safe and secure temporary housing and enabling their social reinsertion.

Main Projects

• Assistance to Victims of Trafficking in the Southern Cone

Migration Policy and Research

IOM's initiatives in this area seek to build institutional capacities on counter-trafficking in Argentina, and to intensify cooperation among the governments participating in the South American Conference on Migration.

The project "Institutional Capacity Building on Counter-Trafficking in Argentina" has two main components – institutional capacity building and training workshops – that help to promote the institutionalization of counter-trafficking in persons, trafficking prevention and assistance to victims of trafficking.

The South American Conference on Migration, on the other hand, aims at intensifying the cooperation among participating governments and generating and coordinating initiatives and programmes seeking to promote and develop policies on international migration and its link to the human rights of migrants and development. The project duration is foreseen as 12 months for the implementation and fulfillment of the Action Plan priorities, the strengthening of the technical capacity of the Technical Secretariat, and the logistical support for the organization of the next South American Conference on Migration.

Main Projects

• Institutional Capacity Building on Counter-Trafficking in Argentina
• South American Conference on Migration

Last updated:
Main text: April 2009
Facts and figures: April 2012