Pope Leo XIV has told migrants that “all of us are migrants,” during a visit to a reception centre on the Spanish island of Tenerife, as he concluded a weeklong trip focused on the plight of irregular migration in Europe.
Tenerife, part of Spain’s Canary Islands, has become a major entry point for tens of thousands of migrants attempting to reach Europe via dangerous Atlantic routes.
Addressing hundreds of migrants at the Las Raices reception centre, a former military barracks, the Pope said humanity shares a common journey.
“In a sense, all of us are migrants, for we are all pilgrims on our way to our heavenly homeland,” he said, urging greater compassion and support for displaced persons.
He called for more humane treatment of migrants and stronger action against trafficking networks exploiting vulnerable people.
“Let us help make this journey more humane for everyone by contributing in whatever way we can,” he added.
The US-born pontiff is expected to conclude his visit with an open-air mass in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Earlier in the trip, he visited Madrid and Barcelona before arriving in the Canary Islands, where he also travelled to Gran Canaria.
During a stop at the port of Arguineguin, the Pope condemned global “indifference” toward migrants and paid tribute to those who have died at sea, casting a wreath into the ocean.
“Human dignity has no passport,” he said, warning against traffickers and what he described as the “monsters” who exploit migrants, as well as the global indifference that allows suffering to continue.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), nearly 1,200 people died or went missing last year while attempting the Atlantic crossing to the Canary Islands, one of the world’s deadliest migration routes.
The Pope also criticised Europe’s tightening migration policies, saying the continent cannot claim to defend human dignity while allowing the Mediterranean and Atlantic to become “unmarked graves.”
He said the tragedy should compel nations of origin, transit, and destination to act more responsibly in addressing poverty, conflict, and trafficking.
Migrants at the centre described the visit as encouraging, with one survivor from Morocco saying the Pope’s presence came at a “critical moment.”
From the Canary Islands, Pope Leo XIV is expected to return to Rome and speak to reporters aboard his flight. He is also scheduled to visit Lampedusa, another key migration route into Europe, on July 4, further highlighting migrant welfare as a central theme of his papacy.
AFP
