Pope’s visit to Canary Islands puts focus on treatment of migrants

MADRID/GRAN CANARIA, June 9 - Pope Leo's visit to Spain's Canary Islands, which have struggled to absorb a surge in irregular migration over the past decade, will focus attention on the treatment of migrants, local Catholic leaders said.

In a first trip by a pope to the archipelago, beginning on Thursday, Leo will visit the port of Arguineguin on Gran Canaria, which in 2020 was criticised by a local mayor for its "subhuman conditions", when 1,000 migrants were stranded on the dockside and thousands were sleeping in the open.

On Friday, Leo will head to a centre for migrants on Tenerife and hold a meeting nearby with more than 1,000 migrants, some of whom survived the sometimes deadly journey from Africa on overcrowded boats and others who arrived from Latin America.

Jose Mazuelos, bishop of the Canary Islands, told Canarias7 newspaper that with the pope's visit "the 'port of shame' can become the 'port of hope'".

"Let’s hope this visit helps to put an end to the Atlantic route, ensures a humane and comprehensive approach to migration, and that Europe takes a proactive role in addressing migration," he said.

THOUSANDS DIE TRYING TO REACH ISLANDS

The pope said during his stop in Madrid on Monday a lack of help for the world's migrants was challenging "the ethical foundation of the international order".

The seven islands off the Atlantic coast of northwestern Africa, located more than 1,000 km from mainland Spain, received a record 46,843 irregular migrants in 2024, compared with fewer than 1,000 in 2015, according to official data.

El Hierro, one of the smallest and most remote islands, received in 2024 an influx equivalent to roughly twice its population of about 11,000.

Arrivals fell by 60% in 2025 from a year earlier to 17,788 after Spain signed agreements to tighten migration controls with countries such as Mauritania, but boats are still departing from as far as The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, adding more time at sea on the already perilous journey.

More than 3,000 people died in 2025 trying to reach the Canary Islands, according to the NGO Caminando Fronteras.

Lamine Endour, who reached the islands from El Aaiún in the disputed territory of Western Sahara in 2018, wanted to send a plea in the publicity surrounding Leo's visit.

"I want to thank him for everything he does, but also to ask for more support for the Canary Islands, so they can continue helping migrants," he said.

'WE ARE ALL THE SAME'

Darwin Rivas, a priest on El Hierro who has joined emergency teams assisting migrants arriving on the island, said he believed the trip would shift the focus worldwide from border control to putting human dignity first.

"It is already moving hearts and I think it must serve to address the issue of immigration policies," said Rivas, who moved to the Canaries from Venezuela and is scheduled to speak at one of the pope's meetings.

In contrast to most of Europe, Spain has adopted a more open stance on migrants, introducing a programme to grant residency to more than half a million undocumented people.

The initiative, however, has drawn criticism from far-right leaders in Spain and across the continent, and the country is struggling with the slow pace of granting legal status to thousands in limbo.

It often takes months, if not years, for migrants to be processed and transferred to the mainland due to their lack of documentation. Adults can gain legal permission to stay and work in Spain, while minors who migrate alone mainly remain in the Canary Islands where they receive education and refugee support until the age of 18.

Ruth Socorro, a 57-year-old Peruvian woman, migrated to Gran Canaria with her family and will attend a meeting with the pope. According to official figures, Latin American migrants account for nearly half of all foreigners living in Spain.

"He cares because we are human beings just like anyone else; it’s just that we come from other countries and have left so much behind, but in the end we are all the same," she said. REUTERS