IOM is expanding its counter-trafficking work in Argentina,
particularly focusing on strengthening the capacity of government
officials and non governmental organizations in providing
protection and assistance to victims of trafficking as cases of
human trafficking increase in the country.

Although no precise data on human trafficking in Argentina
exists, several studies show that the numbers of reported cases
have risen in recent years. The reported number of Paraguayan
victims of trafficking, 52 per cent of them trafficked to
Argentina, have increased from 16 in 2001 to 236 in 2004, while a
UNICEF report, focusing on the border area where Argentina, Brazil
and Paraguay meet, estimated that between 3,500 and 4,000 girls,
boys and adolescents were victims of trafficking for sexual
exploitation in that area alone.

IOM will start counter-trafficking activities in the provinces
of Tucumán, Entre Ríos, Córdoba and Río
Negro in addition to the provinces of Misiones, Jujuy, Chubut and
Buenos Aires, where in 2005, the Organization provided training and
technical assistance to more than 2,400 officials and members of
civil society organization.

Additional activities include putting in place assistance
programmes, the launch of a new public awareness campaign that
includes a video featuring actress Natalia Oreiro as well as
providing Argentinian authorities technical advice in the drafting
of counter trafficking legislation at municipal and national level
as trafficking is still not a crime in the country.

The northern provinces of Misiones, Jujuy, Tucumán and
Entre Ríos are among the poorest in the country and are the
source for much of the internal trafficking taking place with
victims being taken to large urban areas such as tourist
destinations and towns involved in the oil and fishing industries.
Argentina is mainly a destination country for international
trafficking with victims trafficked from Paraguay, Dominican
Republic and other countries for sexual exploitation and from
Bolivia and Perú for labour exploitation.  However,
internal trafficking is greater in scale.

An IOM study on human trafficking that includes Argentina, Chile
and Uruguay is currently underway and will be published later this
year.

For more information contact:

Mercedes Assorati

IOM Buenos Aires

E-mail: "mailto:massorati@iom.int">massorati@iom.int