Pope urges human traffickers to repent during visit to Canary Islands

Key Points:

• Pope Leo XIV condemned people smugglers exploiting migrants on the Canary Islands, urging them to stop and repent, emphasizing the dignity and rights of migrants during his visit to this key African migration route to Europe.
• He called on receiving communities to integrate migrants fleeing war, poverty, and climate change, warning against abandoning them after perilous journeys, and highlighted the deadly nature of the Atlantic migration route.
• Leo echoed and expanded Pope Francis’ migration advocacy by commemorating lives lost at sea, condemning human trafficking, and promoting migrant integration while respecting their beliefs.
• During his visit, Leo met migrants at the Las Raíces camp, affirming their right to dignity and respect without asking for privileges or compassion, and announced he will visit Lampedusa on July 4, marking a symbolic continuation of Francis’ message.
• The pope criticized European countries for turning their backs on migrants and stressed that countries of origin must improve economic and security conditions to reduce forced migration.