Pope Leo rails against migrant deaths on visit to Spain’s ‘dock of shame’
Pontiff calls on leaders to treat migrants more humanely as he concludes week-long Spanish tour in Gran Canaria
TL;DR
- Pope Leo criticized the global "indifference" to the deaths of migrants risking their lives in small boats.
- He spoke out during a visit to Gran Canaria, Spain, near a memorial for migrants who died crossing the Atlantic.
- The pontiff called for humane treatment of migrants and for leaders to create legal and safe pathways for immigration.
- He highlighted the dangers posed by mafias and traffickers, as well as the role of indifference in exploitation.
- The speech comes as the EU adopts a harder stance on irregular migration, despite Spain's efforts to regularize undocumented people.
- Leo cast flowers into the sea to mourn those lost, echoing a gesture by his predecessor, Pope Francis.