‘Dignity has no passport’: Pope makes appeal for migrants in Canary Islands

Pope Leo volition conscionable with astir 1,000 migrants connected Friday who person braved unsafe Atlantic waters to scope Europe.

Pope Leo has appealed to satellite leaders to dainty refugees and migrants much humanely, informing successful a sojourn to Spain’s Canary Islands – 1 of Europe’s migration hotspots – that past would condemn those who allowed radical fleeing warfare ⁠or poorness to suffer.

In what helium called an “appeal to the conscience” of politicians successful Europe and the planetary assemblage connected Thursday, the archetypal American pope said that “human dignity has nary passport and does not suffer its worth erstwhile crossing a border”.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Giant crowds greet Pope Leo astatine nationalist wide successful Madrid
• list 2 of 4Italy recovers 10 bodies arsenic vessel with astir 60 connected committee capsizes disconnected Malta
• list 3 of 4Nigerian migrants fly South Africa aft spike successful xenophobic protests
• list 4 of 4Why has Belfast erupted successful anti-immigrant unit aft a weapon attack?

“We cannot turn accustomed to counting the dead,” said the pope astatine Gran Canaria’s Port of Arguineguin, dubbed the “Dock ⁠of Shame” by alleviation organisations aft immoderate 1,000 radical were stranded successful squalid conditions determination successful the aboriginal months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“May past not impeach america of turning the symptom of those who endure into a communal show on our shores,” helium said to thousands gathered adjacent a memorial to migrants mislaid astatine sea.

“Sooner oregon later, it volition beryllium known whether we protected beingness oregon whether we yielded to indifference.”

Leo arrived successful the Canary Islands earlier connected Thursday, fulfilling a long-held privation of his predecessor, Francis, who died a twelvemonth agone without making a planned travel to the islands, 1 of the main introduction points into Europe for radical fleeing struggle and poverty.

The halt successful the Spanish archipelago disconnected the occidental seashore of Africa is simply a centrepiece of the pope’s weeklong circuit of Spain, successful which helium has besides warned that escalating conflicts person pushed the satellite into a profound crisis.

Juan Carlos Lorenzo, coordinator of the Spanish Commission for Refugees successful the Canary Islands, said that Leo’s sojourn to the Canaries, wherever the pope volition conscionable with astir 1,000 refugees and migrants connected Friday, was a “significant milestone”.

“It volition service arsenic a beardown affirmation of the defence of quality rights, respect and the dignity that each radical deserve, careless of their origin,” said Lorenzo.

At slightest 3,090 radical died successful 2025 trying to scope the Canary Islands, according to the NGO Caminando Fronteras.

A twelvemonth prior, much than 46,000 migrants reached the archipelago disconnected northwestern Africa – a grounds twelvemonth – often successful packed, unseaworthy boats.

Leo, who has spoken forcefully against the absorption of planetary enactment successful caller months, told the Spanish parliament connected Monday that a deficiency of assistance for the world’s migrants was challenging “the ethical instauration of the planetary order”.

In opposition with astir of Europe, Spain has adopted a much unfastened stance connected migrants, introducing a programme to assistance residency to much than fractional a cardinal undocumented people.

The initiative, however, has drawn disapproval from far-right leaders successful Spain and crossed the continent, and the state is struggling with the dilatory gait of granting ineligible presumption to thousands successful limbo.