Canary Church Highlights 19,000 Atlantic Migration Deaths Ahead of Pope's June 11 Visit
Updated
Updated · Agenzia Fides · Jun 5
Canary Church Highlights 19,000 Atlantic Migration Deaths Ahead of Pope's June 11 Visit
1 articles · Updated · Agenzia Fides · Jun 5
Summary
More than 19,000 people have died on the Atlantic migration route since 2020, as Tenerife Caritas delegate Juan Pedro Rivero González framed Pope Leo XIV’s June 11-12 Canary Islands visit around one of the world’s deadliest crossings.
About 24,000 migrants reached the Canary Islands in 2024, with arrivals including Latin American families, sub-Saharan youths, Moroccan families and unaccompanied minors, many carrying severe physical and psychological trauma.
Rivero said the Church’s response centers on reception, dignity and practical support through parishes, Caritas, religious orders and volunteers, while warning against reducing migration to statistics or polarized political debate.
The papal visit will include a meeting with migrants in La Laguna, a gesture Rivero said restores visibility and dignity to people often treated only as a border-control issue.
He also pointed to root causes such as poverty, violence and war, citing a parish-backed hotel project in Senegal aimed at creating jobs locally so fewer young people feel forced to risk the sea crossing.
Beyond symbolic gestures, can the Church's projects in Africa truly stop the deadly flow of migrants?
Will the Pope’s visit finally force a global response to the Canary Islands' escalating migrant crisis?
Can the Pope’s moral plea for migrants change Europe's policies, or will 'remigration' ideologies prevail?
Over 19,000 Dead on the Atlantic Route: Pope Leo XIV’s 2026 Canary Islands Visit and the Urgent Migration Crisis
Overview
Pope Leo XIV will make a historic visit to Spain in June 2026, with the final days focused on the Canary Islands. His journey covers Madrid, Barcelona, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife, traveling over 2,500 kilometers. During his week-long stay, the Pope will deliver speeches, homilies, and greetings, and meet with a wide range of groups, including migrants and volunteers. The Canary Islands are highlighted as symbolic locations on Europe’s Atlantic border, emphasizing the Pope’s commitment to addressing migration issues and showing solidarity with those affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis.