Pope condemns migrant indifference during Canary Islands visit

Pope Léon XIV concluded his week‑long trip to Spain with a stop in the Canary Islands, where he launched a bouquet of flowers at sea to honour migrants who have died crossing the Atlantic. He cited International Organization for Migration data showing 1,172 migrants dead or missing on the route in 2025 and nearly 18,000 arrivals in the archipelago last year. In a speech attended by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, the pontiff denounced “the indifference of many individuals who let the poor be swallowed by exploitation or forgetfulness” and criticised the criminal mafias that traffic people across the seas. He called for “serious reception and integration processes” and urged origin countries to create conditions of peace and justice. The Pope, born in the United States and raised in Peru, emphasized the dignity of migrants and appealed to Europe to stop treating the Atlantic as a “cemetery without headstones.” Local migrants on the islands welcomed his message, speaking of hopes for work and legal status.