Pope Leo has issued a powerful plea to global leaders, urging them to adopt a more humane approach towards migrants and warning that history will judge those who allow individuals fleeing war or poverty to suffer. Speaking from Spain's Canary Islands, a critical migration hotspot, the pontiff delivered what he termed an 'appeal to the conscience' of politicians across Europe and the international community.
'Human dignity has no passport and does not lose its value when crossing a border,' the first U.S. pope declared, emphasising the inherent worth of every individual. His words resonated at Gran Canaria's Port of Arguineguin, infamously dubbed the 'Dock of Shame' by relief organisations after approximately 1,000 migrants endured squalid conditions there during the initial phase of the coronavirus pandemic.
'We cannot grow accustomed to counting the dead,' he stated, addressing thousands gathered near a memorial dedicated to migrants lost at sea. 'May history not accuse us of turning the pain of those who suffer into a common sight along our shores. Sooner or later, it will be known whether we protected life or whether we yielded to indifference.'
The Pope's visit to the archipelago, part of a week-long tour of Spain, comes as he has adopted an increasingly forceful tone regarding global leadership. He recently drew the ire of US President Donald Trump after sharply criticising his hard-line, anti-immigrant policies. The islands themselves serve as a perilous destination for migrants undertaking deadly journeys across Atlantic waters, often in improvised and overcrowded small crafts.
During a meeting with NGOs and charity organisations at the port, Pope Leo listened intently to volunteers and others, including rescue boat captain Tito Villarmea. Villarmea recounted how he and his colleagues had saved some 20,000 migrants over 18 years. 'It's a number that makes me sick and that you cannot forget,' the captain confessed. 'I wish we didn't have to save anyone.' The pontiff also heard a harrowing testimony read on behalf of a Nigerian woman who detailed her experience of being trafficked and sexually abused while attempting to reach Europe for a better life.
Pope Leo used his platform to advocate for 'legal and safe pathways' for immigration, alongside international cooperation to combat human trafficking and increased funding for rescuing migrants in distress at sea. The Canary Islands have seen a dramatic surge in arrivals, with a record 46,843 irregular migrants in 2024, a stark contrast to fewer than 1,000 in 2015. Tragically, more than 3,000 people died in 2025 attempting to reach the islands, according to the NGO Caminando Fronteras.
