By Zoey
Pope Leo XIV is set to place one of the world’s most divisive political and humanitarian issues at the center of his early papacy by visiting two of Europe’s most significant migration gateways in the coming weeks.
The pontiff will travel to Spain’s Canary Islands next week before making a visit to Italy’s Lampedusa island in early July, underscoring the Catholic Church’s continued focus on the plight of migrants risking dangerous journeys in search of safety and opportunity.
The visits will bring the pope to two remote territories that have become symbols of the migration crisis affecting Europe. Both the Canary Islands, located off the northwest coast of Africa, and Lampedusa, situated in the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and North Africa, have received tens of thousands of migrants over recent years. Many have arrived after perilous sea crossings that have claimed countless lives.
Church leaders, aid organizations and migrant communities view the pope’s decision as a powerful statement that migration remains a priority for the Vatican. They hope his presence will shift public discussion away from increasingly polarized political arguments and toward the human stories behind migration statistics.
Bishop José Mazuelos of the Diocese of Canarias said the Church’s mission is to remind society that migration is fundamentally about people rather than numbers.
“Caught in the middle of political debates are the migrants themselves,” he said, emphasizing the need to recognize the humanity of those making the dangerous journeys.
Among those awaiting the pope’s visit is 27-year-old Eslim Jallow, who arrived in the Canary Islands from Gambia in 2023 alongside his younger brother. Like many migrants, he left home in search of better economic opportunities and a more secure future.
After initially struggling to adapt to life in Spain, Jallow learned Spanish, completed professional training courses and established himself as a programmer and web developer in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. He believes Pope Leo’s visit could encourage local communities to see migrants through a different lens.
Jallow said migrants deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and expressed hope that the pope’s message would help challenge negative perceptions about immigration. Although he is not Catholic, he said Leo’s advocacy resonates deeply with migrants because it acknowledges their humanity and struggles.
Migration advocacy became one of the defining priorities of Pope Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis. Francis made international headlines in 2013 when he chose Lampedusa for his first pastoral visit outside Rome, drawing global attention to the suffering of migrants crossing the Mediterranean. Three years later, he visited the Greek island of Lesbos and personally accompanied several Syrian refugees back to Italy.
Observers say Pope Leo is signaling continuity with that legacy.
According to immigration experts, the decision to visit both the Canary Islands and Lampedusa so early in his papacy demonstrates that migration will remain a major concern for the Vatican. The pope is expected to honor migrants who died or disappeared at sea and meet directly with migrants living in reception centers during his visit.
The Canary Islands have been at the center of one of Europe’s most significant migration challenges. In 2024 alone, nearly 47,000 migrants arrived on the archipelago after crossing the Atlantic Ocean from countries across North and West Africa. Thousands of those arrivals were unaccompanied minors.
The small island of El Hierro experienced some of the greatest pressure. Roughly half of all migrants arriving in the Canary Islands landed there, despite its relatively small population. Local authorities, healthcare providers and social services struggled to cope with the sudden increase in arrivals.
Bishop Eloy Santiago of Tenerife recalled how emergency situations frequently stretched local resources beyond their limits. Medical personnel often had to abandon routine appointments to care for newly arrived migrants requiring immediate assistance after dangerous sea voyages.
Catholic organizations have played a crucial role in responding to the crisis. Church-affiliated charities and volunteers are frequently among the first to assist migrants as they disembark from overcrowded and often fragile boats after days or even weeks at sea.
Although arrivals have declined significantly this year due in part to tighter controls along African migration routes, humanitarian groups say major challenges remain. One of the most pressing concerns involves migrant children who reach adulthood while under state care.
Many young migrants find themselves without support when they turn 18, facing difficulties securing housing, employment and legal stability. Catholic charity Caritas has worked extensively with these vulnerable young adults, helping them find accommodation and employment opportunities while also facilitating relocation programs to communities across mainland Spain.
Caritas officials say the transition into adulthood is often one of the most difficult periods for young migrants, many of whom arrive with hopes of building a new life but encounter significant barriers once government protections expire.
The migration issue has also become increasingly intertwined with Spanish politics. Residents of the Canary Islands have expressed frustration over what they perceive as insufficient support from national and European institutions. Many feel local communities have been left to shoulder a disproportionate share of the responsibility despite limited resources.
Church leaders argue that the pope’s visit could provide encouragement to communities experiencing fatigue after years of managing migration-related pressures.
At the national level, Spain’s Catholic Church has supported measures aimed at regularizing the status of hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants living and working in the country. Church officials maintain that many migrants make important contributions to sectors such as agriculture, hospitality and eldercare while helping address labor shortages.
However, these positions have increasingly placed the Church at odds with conservative and far-right political movements that advocate stricter immigration policies. The debate has intensified as migration continues to dominate political discourse across Spain and much of Europe.
Religious leaders insist their position is rooted in Christian teachings that emphasize welcoming strangers and caring for vulnerable people. They acknowledge, however, that migration must also be managed effectively through practical social and political policies.
For many residents of the Canary Islands, the debate extends beyond politics. Local fishermen, rescue workers, volunteers and ordinary citizens have repeatedly found themselves helping exhausted migrants arriving after dangerous journeys across the Atlantic. Communities have witnessed both the hardships associated with migration and examples of successful integration.
In some rural areas facing population decline, migrant families and children have helped revitalize local schools, businesses and community life. Supporters of the pope’s visit believe these stories often receive far less attention than political disputes surrounding immigration.
As Pope Leo prepares to visit the Canary Islands and later Lampedusa, many Church leaders hope his message will focus on reconciliation, compassion and practical solutions. They argue that acknowledging migrants’ humanity does not require ignoring the complexities of migration management.
Instead, they believe the pope will emphasize a balance between responsibility and compassion, urging societies to respond to human suffering while addressing the broader challenges posed by migration.
For many migrants who have risked everything to reach Europe’s shores, the visit represents more than a symbolic gesture. It is a sign that their stories, struggles and aspirations remain visible at the highest levels of the Catholic Church and on the global stage.
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