Pope Leo XIV called on European leaders to take a “momentous challenge” in handling migration, during a visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa. The pontiff urged the continent to improve integration for new arrivals, to enhance conditions in the migrants’ home countries and to offer long‑term support that would stop people from having to leave.
The Pope began his tour with a stop at a cemetery where many have died trying to cross the Mediterranean. He then knelt at the “Door of Europe” memorial and spoke with a migrant family, reminding observers that “those who have lost their lives in this sea are victims of decisions that were made and of decisions that were not made.”
He stressed that Europe can address the crisis comprehensively – delivering immediate relief while building a strategic plan that “receives, protects, supports and integrates migrants” and assists countries of origin to reduce forced migration.
The island sits 90 mi off Tunisia and its reception centre is overcrowded, with people travelling in poorly maintained vessels, making the journey perilously dangerous. Because of that, more than 1 400 people have died or gone missing this year, including 28 children, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration.
A migrant who has lived on Lampedusa since 2015 said the visit was “a reminder that our stories are seen, that welcome is not just a word but an act of humanity.”
The Pope’s emphasis on migration has, since his election in May 2025, put him at odds with US President Donald Trump and has led him to label anti‑immigration policies “inhuman.”
