Argentina - The IOM Migration Profile for Argentina, published today, confirms that migration to the South American country is on the rise, including the return of some of its nationals from abroad.

The Profile reports that there are an estimated 1.8 million migrants living in Argentina (4.5 per cent of the population.) Some 84.6 per cent come from neighbouring countries, mainly Paraguay (550,713), Bolivia (345,272), Chile (191,147) and Peru (157,514).

Between 1881 and 1914 more than 4.2 million people settled in the country, including two million from Italy, 1.4 million from Spain, 170,000 from France and 160,000 from Russia.  In 1914 more than 30 per cent of the population was foreign born, but only 200,000 were from neighbouring countries.

“Argentina cannot be analyzed without taking into consideration the impact of international migration.  Migratory movements have influenced and shaped this society historically, and continue to do so today.  In the 1850s most migrants were arriving from Europe, today the vast majority are coming from neighbouring countries and are credited with having a rejuvenating effect on the labour force,” explains Diego Beltrand, IOM Regional Director for South America.

The vast majority of migrants from Paraguay, Uruguay and Peru are concentrated in the metropolitan region of Buenos Aires. Migrants from Bolivia and Chile are more evenly distributed throughout the country and play an important role in the agricultural sector.  

In the last decade, smaller numbers of migrants have been arriving from Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa.

The people migrating to Argentina are mainly of working-age and seeking better integration in labour markets, higher wages and social mobility.  Many have been excluded or marginalized from labour markets in their own countries and move looking for new opportunities.

Argentinean nationals living aboard increased until 2008, when almost one million persons were living outside the country.  Since 2008 there has been a downward trend in outward migration flows. This is probably due to the economic crisis, which has severely affected Spain in particular, the main country of destination for Argentinean migrants.  Argentinean migrants are also present in large numbers in the United States, Israel, Canada, Italy and Australia.   

Migration features prominently on the government’s agenda, with progress in the design of migration policies, including new laws on migration, refugees, and trafficking, and in bilateral and multilateral agreements.

The Profile also reports on other facets of migration including the growth of transnational migration; the spread of social networks linked to migration; the increase of activities linked to remittances; the increasing role of women in migration flows; the creation of migrants associations; an increase in migrant smuggling and human trafficking; forced migration; seasonal migration; migration of the highly skilled; and bilateral and multilateral migration policies.

The IOM Migration Profile, funded by the IOM Development Fund, also includes the latest migration data, a list of diaspora associations, current migration-related laws, and a list of international organizations and NGOs working on migration-related issues in Argentina.

To download the Profile in Spanish, please go to: http://www.iom.int/files/live/sites/iom/files/pbn/docs/Perfil-Migratorio-de-argentina-2012.pdf

For more information, please contact

Ezequiel Texidó
IOM Buenos Aires
Tel: +54 11 5219 2033/4/5
Email: etexido@iom.int