Pontiff calls on individuals in Europe and the US to welcome and help migrants throughout symbolic journey to Italy’s frontier island.
Printed On 4 Jul 2026
Pope Leo XIV has urged Europe to do extra to guard and combine migrants throughout a go to to Italy’s Lampedusa island, a key arrival level for individuals crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa.
The pope made the enchantment on Saturday throughout a symbolic journey to the island, which has lengthy been on the centre of Europe’s migration debate.
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Talking throughout Mass, the pope described migration as a “momentous problem” for European societies, however mentioned the continent had the capability to reply with compassion and planning.
“Europe is able to addressing the disaster on this area in a complete method,” he mentioned, calling for rapid reduction to be matched with a long-term plan to “obtain, defend, help and combine migrants”.
He urged European international locations to help improvement in migrants’ international locations of origin, saying individuals shouldn’t be pressured to depart due to poverty, insecurity or battle.
The pope started his go to by praying at a cemetery the place plenty of migrants who died at sea are buried. He later visited the “Door of Europe” memorial, devoted to those that threat their lives making an attempt to achieve the continent.
![Pope Leo XIV walking through the arch of the monument Door of Europe - Porta d'Europa made by the italian artist Mimmo Paladino during a one day visit to Lampedusa island, south of Sicily. [Photo by VATICAN MEDIA / AFP]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AFP__20260704__B99A3ZQ__v1__HighRes__VaticanReligionPopeLampedusaMigrants-1783164334.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
He additionally blessed a plaque renaming a migrant arrival pier after his predecessor Pope Francis, who visited Lampedusa in 2013 on his first journey exterior Rome after turning into pontiff.
Lampedusa, nearer to Tunisia than mainland Italy, has acquired 1000’s of individuals rescued after the damaging central Mediterranean crossing. Many others have died or disappeared whereas making an attempt the journey in overcrowded boats.
The pope’s go to got here as governments in Europe and the US have positioned rising emphasis on border controls, detention and deportations.
In a separate message to Individuals marking the 250th anniversary of US independence, the primary US-born pope mentioned defending human life additionally meant “welcoming, defending and helping immigrants”.
Greater than 14,000 migrants have reached Italy by sea to this point this yr, in line with the United Nations refugee company, with greater than half touchdown in Lampedusa. The Worldwide Group for Migration (IOM) says greater than 1,400 individuals have died or gone lacking within the Mediterranean this yr.
The pope mentioned the deaths had been the results of “decisions made and unmade”, including that the reminiscence of these misplaced at sea ought to weigh on Europe, alongside the wants of those that survive the journey.
