At a time when Europe is toughening its migration policy, Pope Leo XIV arrived on Saturday on the small Italian island of Lampedusa where he urged Europe to better respond to the "historic call" of the migration crisis by integrating "first aid" into a long-term strategy.

Published on: 04/07/2026 - 01:27 Modified on: 04/07/2026 - 21:12

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He made the defense of migrants a recurring theme of his pontificate. Pope Leo XIV arrived on Saturday July 4 on the small Italian island of Lampedusa, which has become the symbol of the migratory tragedy in the Mediterranean. As during his visit to the Spanish Canary Islands last month, the American pope urged Europe to better respond to the "historic call" of the migration crisis, at a time when the European Union (EU) is toughening its measures.

Following in the footsteps of his Argentine predecessor Francis, who chose Lampedusa in 2013 for his first trip, the 70-year-old pontiff sent a clear message to European and American leaders, in a context of growing intolerance and indifference in the face of migration crises.

This half-day visit to this 20km2 island, located between Tunisia and Malta, comes a few weeks after the adoption by the European Union of new migration measures including an increased use of detention and the creation of detention centers outside the borders of the EU, and on the very day of the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States, his native country.

“Europe is able (...) to address the crisis organically, by including first aid in a long-term strategic plan, capable of welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating migrants while working for development, so that no one is forced to emigrate,” launched the American pope in his homily.

He also castigated "the disinterest in the common good and the corruption in the countries of origin, a global economic system which generates poverty and exclusion, the fear which fuels prejudice and contempt (...) the criminal calculations of those who profit from the tragedy of others".

A few minutes earlier, Leo

Like his visit to the Spanish Canary Islands last month, the pope has made the defense of migrants a recurring theme of his pontificate, thanking those who help the most deprived and denouncing mass expulsions in the United States.

Lampedusa: symbol of the migration crisis in Europe

“The presence of Pope Leo

For Amy Pope, director general of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Leo XIV's visit "reminds us that behind every migration statistic there is a human life."

Located just 145 kilometers from the Tunisian coast, Lampedusa, which has around 6,000 inhabitants, has become, despite its fine sandy beaches, one of the main symbols of the migration crisis in Europe.

More than 360 people died in a shipwreck in October 2013, the worst disaster in the island's history, while thousands of other migrants died on this maritime route, which is among the most dangerous in the world.

On the quay where people rescued at sea by the coast guard, humanitarian ships or local fishermen disembark, he will bless a commemorative plaque dedicated to Pope Francis then celebrate a large open-air mass. He will return to the Vatican at the beginning of the afternoon.

The semi-arid island of Lampedusa is the second migratory destination in Europe visited by Leo XIV, who took advantage of his trip to the Canary Islands to denounce human trafficking. He also spoke out against measures aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration and described the treatment reserved for migrants by the American administration as “inhumane”.

The head of the Catholic Church, which has 1.4 billion followers, also urged migrants to integrate by learning the language of their host country, respecting its laws and becoming familiar with its customs.

The crossing of the central Mediterranean from North Africa is the deadliest migration route in the world, according to the International Organization for Migration. In 2025, some 1,330 people died or went missing attempting the crossing, and at least 865 people in 2026, according to the IOM.

This route is monitored by a handful of ships from humanitarian organizations which accuse the EU of failing to act to prevent shipwrecks.

With AFP

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