The return back home from Buenos Aires of
the bodies of six Bolivian migrants killed by a fire in a
clandestine textile factory and 12 of their family members, has
highlighted the dire working conditions of many Bolivian migrants
in Argentina.

The six migrants, five of them children whose
parents worked at the factory, died in March this year when the
fire broke out in the building in a Buenos Aires
neighbourhood. 

Many Bolivians, pushed by poverty and lack of
information on employment conditions in clandestine factories and
sweatshops, accept tempting offers from unscrupulous employers who
often operate from private homes. The promises made by employers
are rarely, if ever, respected and the migrants are forced to work
long hours in places with no safety measures, small amounts of
food, and very little or no contact with the outside world. In
addition, the migrants are often blackmailed by their employers for
having an undocumented status and who can be put in jail any
time.

IOM, which organized the return home of the
dead migrants and their family in cooperation with the Bolivian
authorities, has publicly voiced its concern about the exploitative
situation migrants find themselves in, especially in textile
workshops.  IOM has also expressed its support of initiatives
being carried out by the Buenos Aires authorities, which have
carried out inspections that have resulted in the closure of 80
sweatshops so far.

 

According to figures provided by the Buenos Aires city government,
there are more than 1,600 sweatshops in the Argentine capital, many
of which do not follow national labour and employment norms, such
as numbers of hours of worked and health and safety
regulations.

 

2001 census figures number 233,464 Bolivians living in
Argentina.  But unofficial estimates point to a population of
between 500,000 and 600,000.  In order to raise awareness
amongst migrants and the public at large, the authorities have
launched an information campaign to denounce and fight slavery with
the slogan "Work exploitation KILLS"- it is our responsibility to
fight MAFIAS", which IOM supports.

 

For further information please contact:

Elena Solari, IOM Buenos Aires

Tel +54 1 14 815 51 94

Email "mailto:elsolari@iom.int" target="_blank" title=
"">elsolari@iom.int