Pope Leo XIV has called for greater compassion toward migrants and stronger action against human traffickers, declaring that “all of us are migrants” during a visit to the Canary Islands, one of Europe’s busiest migration entry points.
Speaking at the Las Raices reception centre on Tenerife, where hundreds of migrants are housed, the pontiff reflected on the shared human experience of seeking a better future.
“In a sense, all of us are migrants, for we are all pilgrims on our way to our heavenly homeland,” Pope Leo told the gathering. “Let us help make this journey more humane for everyone by contributing in whatever way we can.”
The pope’s visit marked the final stop of a week-long trip to Spain focused on irregular migration, a growing issue that continues to shape political debate across Europe. The Canary Islands have become a key destination for thousands of migrants undertaking the perilous Atlantic crossing from Africa in search of safety and opportunity.
Earlier in the trip, Leo visited Madrid and Barcelona before arriving in Gran Canaria, where he condemned what he described as widespread indifference to the suffering of migrants. At the port of Arguineguin, he laid a wreath at sea in memory of the thousands who have died attempting the crossing.
“Human dignity has no passport,” the pope said as he blessed a cross made from wood recovered from a migrant boat. He also denounced traffickers who exploit vulnerable people and criticized attitudes that allow migrants’ suffering to be ignored.
According to the International Organization for Migration, nearly 1,200 people died or went missing on the route from Africa to the Canary Islands last year, making it one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors.
The pope warned that Europe cannot claim to uphold human dignity while becoming accustomed to the Mediterranean and Atlantic seas serving as unmarked graves for migrants. He urged both destination countries and nations along migration routes to confront the poverty, conflict and trafficking networks that force people to flee their homes.
Many migrants welcomed the pope’s visit as a sign of solidarity. Mohamed Amjahdi, who arrived in the Canary Islands from Morocco as a teenager, described the visit as deeply significant at a critical time for migrant communities.
Pope Leo is expected to return to Rome from Tenerife later on Friday. He is also scheduled to visit Lampedusa, Italy’s main migrant landing point, on July 4, underlining migration as a central issue of his papacy.
