Pope Leo has called on world leaders to treat refugees and migrants more humanely during his visit to Spain's Canary Islands, one of Europe's migration hotspots. In what he described as an "appeal to conscience" directed at European politicians and the international community, the first American pope in history asserted that "dignity has no passport and does not lose its value when crossing borders."
Speaking at the Arguineguin port in Gran Canaria, which aid organizations have called a "dock of shame" after about 1,000 people were stranded in squalid conditions at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pope said: "We cannot grow accustomed to counting the dead." Addressing thousands gathered near a memorial to migrants lost at sea, he emphasized: "May history not accuse us of turning the pain of the suffering into a spectacle along our coasts. Sooner or later, it will be known whether we protected life or yielded to indifference."
Pope Leo arrived in the Canary Islands on Thursday, fulfilling a long-held wish of his predecessor Francis, who died a year ago without making a planned trip to the islands. The Canaries are one of the main gateways into Europe for people fleeing conflict and poverty. The stop in the Spanish archipelago off the west coast of Africa is the focus of the pope's week-long tour of Spain, during which he also warned that escalating conflicts have plunged the world into a deep crisis.
Juan Carlos Lorenzo, coordinator of the Spanish Commission for Refugees in the Canary Islands, said the pope's visit to the islands—where he will meet about 1,000 refugees and migrants on Friday—was a "significant milestone." He said: "This will be a powerful affirmation of the protection of human rights, respect and dignity that all people deserve, regardless of their origin."
According to the NGO Caminando Fronteras, at least 3,090 people died in 2025 while trying to reach the Canary Islands. A year earlier, more than 46,000 migrants arrived in the archipelago off northwest Africa—a record number—often on overcrowded and unsafe boats.
Pope Leo, who has spoken out forcefully against global leadership in recent months, told the Spanish parliament on Monday that the lack of aid for migrants worldwide challenges "the moral foundations of the international order." Unlike most of Europe, Spain has taken a more open stance toward migrants, offering residency to more than half a million undocumented people. However, this initiative has drawn criticism from far-right leaders in Spain and across the continent, and the country is grappling with the slow pace of legal status for thousands of people in limbo.
