Pope Leo XIV is undertaking a significant visit to Spain’s Canary Islands, aiming to shed light on the perilous journeys and challenging conditions faced by migrants attempting to reach Europe. The visit, which is the final two days of his weeklong trip to Spain, takes him to an archipelago situated geographically closer to Africa than mainland Spain, a crucial entry point for migrants traversing from West Africa.
The pontiff’s itinerary includes meetings with recently arrived migrants and representatives from religious and humanitarian organizations dedicated to their care and integration into Spanish society. A particularly poignant part of his visit involves a stop at a port that gained notoriety in 2020 as the “dock of shame.” This designation arose from the dire and squalid conditions migrants endured when they arrived during a significant surge in arrivals, with many forced to sleep in makeshift camps in open-air conditions on the dockside for weeks, often with only a blanket and lacking basic amenities such as showers.
This visit fulfills a wish previously expressed by Pope Francis, who had long desired to visit the Canary Islands, a focal point of the European migration debate. The late Pope Francis had consistently highlighted the plight of refugees and migrants as a cornerstone of his papacy, adhering to the Gospel’s call to “welcome the stranger.” His previous engagements, such as his 2013 visit to Lampedusa, where he cast a wreath into the Mediterranean to honor those lost at sea, underscored his commitment to denouncing the “globalization of indifference” toward migrants.
The Canary Islands have experienced a dramatic increase in irregular migrant arrivals over the past decade. While numbers peaked in 2024 with nearly 47,000 arrivals, they have since seen a significant decline. Official data indicates that 46,843 irregular migrants arrived in 2024, a stark contrast to fewer than 1,000 in 2015. However, arrivals fell by 60% in 2025 to 17,788, partly due to Spain’s agreements to tighten migration controls with countries like Mauritania. Despite these measures, the journey remains perilous, with boats still departing from distant locations such as The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. Tragically, over 3,000 people are estimated to have died attempting to reach the Canary Islands in 2025, with the NGO Caminando Fronteras reporting 1,906 deaths specifically on the Canary route.
Spain’s current government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has adopted a stance that differs from trends in other parts of Europe and the United States, advocating for immigration on both economic and humanitarian grounds. The administration has implemented a legalization program for hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants and has emphasized the economic benefits of immigration, particularly in light of an aging workforce and low birth rates within the country. In a notable address to the Spanish Parliament, Pope Leo XIV called for enhanced international cooperation to combat human smuggling, establish safe legal pathways for migration, and promote development in countries of origin to enable individuals to remain in their homelands.
During his address, the pontiff stressed the inherent human dignity of migrants, stating, “The moral greatness of a nation is manifested, above all, in its capacity to accompany, protect and love those lives that are most fragile.” The visit aims to draw global attention to the critical issues surrounding migration, advocating for a humane and comprehensive approach and encouraging a more proactive role from Europe in addressing the complex challenges.
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Global Affairs Desk at The Chenab Times covers international developments, global diplomacy, and foreign policy issues through fact-based reporting, explainers, and analytical pieces. The desk focuses on major geopolitical events, diplomatic engagements, and international trends, with an emphasis on verified information, multiple perspectives, and contextual understanding of global affairs.
