Pope Calls for "Safe and Legal Pathways" for Migration in the Canary Islands

It is not enough to “manage arrivals, distribute numbers, strengthen border security, or mourn deaths once they have already occurred.”

The Canary Islands have been a hotspot for the migration flow from Africa across the Atlantic to Europe for many years. The phenomenon particularly shaped the islands between 2020 and 2024. Last year, the number of boat migrants did drop sharply. At the height of the crisis in 2024, however, nearly 50,000 people arrived irregularly in the Canary Islands within a single year.

“Pier of Shame” near the resort town of Maspalomas

The port of Arguineguín on Gran Canaria became a symbol of the humanitarian crisis—the “Muelle de la Vergüenza,” the “Pier of Shame.” In August 2020, nearly 3,000 people were stranded there at times under precarious conditions, even though the area was designed to accommodate only about 500 people. They slept outdoors, and the sanitary conditions were appalling.

At that port in the south of Gran Canaria, just a half-hour drive from the resort town of Maspalomas, the Pope met with recently arrived migrants as well as representatives of the Church and humanitarian organizations who care for them and support their integration into Spanish society.

Pope: Seas Are Becoming Cemeteries Without Headstones

At the same time, Leo described the refugee crisis as a test of conscience, especially for Europe, “which cannot proclaim human dignity while growing accustomed to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic becoming graveyards without headstones.” He called on the international community to engage in “effective and persistent cooperation” on this issue.

He hoped that the voice of migrants would reach those who bear decisive responsibility in this matter—such as civil authorities, parliaments, governments, and international organizations. Every boat that arrives, Leo explained, brings not only migrants but also a central question for everyone: “What kind of world have we created if so many brothers and sisters must risk death to seek life?”