Portugal Colonial - Pope condemns 'indifference' towards migrants on Canaries trip

The pontiff cast a wreath into the sea in tribute to the thousands who have died trying to reach the Atlantic archipelago, on day six of a trip to Spain that has repeatedly highlighted the plight of migrants.

Leo visited the port of Arguineguin on Gran Canaria island, where he met migrants and those who help them before blessing a cross made from the wood of migrant boats.

"Even today, monsters lurk in these seas: mafias that profit from despair, traffickers who enslave women and children, and those whose indifference allows the poor to be swallowed up by exploitation or forgetfulness," Leo told a ceremony at the port.

Nearly 1,200 people died or went missing on the route from Africa to the Canary Islands last year, according to the International Organization for Migration, making it one of the world's deadliest migration routes.

Europe, where governments have toughened their policies in recent years under pressure from the far right, "cannot claim to uphold human dignity while growing accustomed to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic becoming unmarked graves", added Leo.

The pope said the tragedy must "appeal to the conscience" of nations of origin and transit where migrants flee poverty and conflict and fall prey to trafficking gangs.

The audience heard the testimony of a Nigerian woman who fell victim to traffickers while trying to reach Spain and was not at the ceremony for safety reasons.

"I had to choose: live in suffering, or cross and risk it all. Die trying, or stay and not have anything," said the woman, who was forced into prostitution in Spain and had her baby snatched from her.

Leo inclined himself as he spoke of wanting "to bow before" the dignity of migrants.

"You are not just numbers or files. You are people who have left behind families and homes. You have dreams that no one has the right to despise," he said.

- 'Critical moment' -

More than 46,000 people reached the archipelago off northwestern Africa in 2024, a record year, often in packed, unseaworthy boats. Numbers have since dropped.

The Canaries visit fulfils a long-held wish of Leo's predecessor Francis, who died a year ago without making a planned trip to the islands.

Leo's defence of migrants has sparked anger from US President Donald Trump, who has cracked down on irregular arrivals since returning to the White House last year.

"We really value this visit. It's very important for us at such a critical moment," Mohamed Amjahdi, who arrived in the islands from Morocco on a boat when he was 17, told AFP in Arguineguin.

"We also appreciate the Catholic Church and the vital work it does for migrants. When it comes to helping migrants, there's no distinction," added Amjahdi, 37, a member of the Spanish Islamic Commission.

"It doesn't matter whether you're Christian or not, whether you're white or black -- everyone receives the same support."

- 'Dock of shame' -

Arguineguin became known as the "dock of shame" after more than 3,000 migrants slept there in the open or under makeshift shelters during a surge in arrivals in 2020.

A large banner reading "dock of hope" was installed at Thursday's ceremony.

In an address to Spain's parliament on Monday, Leo called for "safe and legal pathways" for immigration and for migrants to be given "a respectful welcome and real opportunities for integration".

The pope's visit comes as Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government has moved to regularise around 500,000 undocumented migrants, bucking a trend across Europe.

Thursday marks the penultimate day of the pope's week-long trip to Spain, which has included stops in Madrid and Barcelona.

The visit concludes on Friday on the island of Tenerife, where he is also to visit a migrant centre.

V.Dantas--PC