Emergency services have rescued 77 migrants off the coast of a Spanish island on Sunday, 14 June. The migrants were traveling aboard an inflatable boat located about 44 miles northeast of Lanzarote at around 2:30 pm, according to Spanish emergency services. The Spanish coastguard confirmed there were 77 people on board, including six women and three minors.
This incident follows Pope Leo XIV's call for an "examination of conscience" on migration earlier this week during a visit to the port of Arguineguín in Spain's Canary Islands. The Pope visited the islands from 6 June to 12 June and stated: "It is not enough to manage arrivals, distribute figures, reinforce borders, or mourn the dead once they have already died."
He also emphasized: "Human dignity requires legal and safe routes, rescue and assistance, real cooperation against traffickers, effective protection for victims, serious processes of welcome and integration, and policies that allow each person to live with dignity in his or her own land."
According to EWTN Vatican.com, Spain's Interior Ministry reported that 10,224 migrants arrived irregularly in Spain from 1 January to 31 May, down 35.2% from 15,769 during the same period last year. Irregular land entries into Ceuta and Melilla rose 210% to 2,366 people.
Pope Leo also mentioned El Hierro, the least populated of the Canary Islands, which has become a major arrival point for migrants, with more than 50,000 irregular arrivals since 2020. The peak came in 2024, with nearly 30,000 arrivals.
During his visit to Spain, the Pope also went to the nearby image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, patroness of sailors, where he blessed a cross erected as a permanent memorial to those who never reached their destination, as reported by EWTN.
