Pope Leo XIV visited a significant site in the migration debate on Thursday, urging nations to respect migrants’ rights and criticizing leaders, including Christians, who turn them away. His message was delivered from Arguineguín port in the Canary Islands, where poor conditions in 2020 led to it being called the “dock of shame.”
With rescue ships as a backdrop and a cross made from a shipwrecked boat nearby, Pope Leo implored, “Human dignity has no passport and does not lose value when crossing a border.” This visit serves a dual purpose: honoring the lives lost in the Atlantic crossing from West Africa and fulfilling a wish of Pope Francis, who had a similar mission.
Pope Leo’s gesture of throwing flowers into the sea mirrored a similar act by Pope Francis in Lampedusa, Sicily. The event marked a stand against the “globalization of indifference” towards migrants. Pope Leo’s two-day stay in the Canary Islands marks the conclusion of his weeklong Spanish tour.
Visiting the Past and Hope for the Future
The Canary Islands are a pivotal point for migrants aiming to enter Europe from West Africa. This Atlantic route is deemed riskier than the Mediterranean path from Libya and Tunisia. In 2024, nearly 47,000 migrants arrived on the islands, but recent agreements have reduced this number significantly, with just over 3,000 arrivals in early 2026.
Pope Leo headed straight to Arguineguín port, which had previously seen migrants housed in unfit conditions. Many slept in makeshift camps and lacked basic legal rights until the ombudsman intervened in 2020, relocating them to nearby hotels.
Advocating for Migrants’ Dignity
At the port, under a scorching sun, Pope Leo listened to stories from aid workers and a Nigerian human trafficking survivor. The site once known as the “dock of shame” now carries a new banner, “Dock of Hope.”
Addressing the migrants, Pope Leo said, “Before anything else, I bow to your dignity.” Speaking to a Nigerian trafficking victim, he assured her, “Even if others placed a price on your body, know your worth remains immeasurable to God.”
He urged countries of origin to provide security and economic opportunities so people aren’t forced to flee and called for safe transit conditions to prevent migrant exploitation. He challenged Europe’s conscience, underscoring that they cannot maintain their humanity while disregarding the loss of life in the Mediterranean and Atlantic as mere statistics.
In a compelling speech on migration, Pope Leo emphasized the rights of migrants to flee or remain but did not address the right of nations to control borders. As a Christian duty, he asserted the need to address migrant issues.
“May history not accuse us of turning the pain of those who suffer into a commonplace sight along our shores,” he declared. “Sooner or later, it will be known whether we protected life or yielded to indifference.”
Migrants’ Hope
Among those awaiting Pope Leo was Mame Amandou Neang, a 56-year-old from Senegal, who expressed hope that Pope Leo’s visit would help them overcome their current struggles.
The International Organization for Migration estimates 6,600 deaths on the Atlantic route since 2014, though this number is likely higher due to “invisible shipwrecks.” Walking Borders, a Spanish migrant rights group, believes over 25,000 have perished attempting to reach the islands since 2020.
Following in Pope Francis’s footsteps, Pope Leo has prioritized the dignity of migrants, especially in the U.S., during the Trump administration’s tough migration policies. On July 4, he plans to visit Lampedusa, continuing to highlight the migrant crisis.
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