In the Canaries, Leo XIV faces the migratory challenge

The invariably blue sky of the Canary Islands Although he is familiar with private jets, it is not every day that he sees a papal plane pass by. To end his trip to Spain, Leo Located 200 km from the African coast, these paradise islands represent a privileged gateway to Europe. The crossing, complicated by the strengthening of controls which encourages smugglers to take increasingly long routes, often turns into hell.

These survivors, whom Pope Leo XIV came to listen, on June 11, 2026, on the “quai of shame”, in Arguineguin, on the island of Gran Canaria, all say the hope for a better future which led them to pile up on frail boats to escape poverty and war. Those who were able to arrive safely discovered that their ordeal had only just begun: after the stormy seas, they had to face the rejection of men. The road that leads to integration will be much longer than the days of anguish, tossed by the swell. A path complicated by the cultural and religious gap with the lands where they seek asylum.

The Pope did not hesitate to pay tribute to the “Angels of the Ocean”, as the Bishop of the Canary Islands calls all the associations and teams who work to help all those who disembark. An unconditional welcome, which addresses what is most urgent in the face of the distress that is surging here.

This distress concerns every citizen European: are we ready to leave space in our societies and in our lives for foreigners, whatever their customs and beliefs which sometimes seem to us to threaten ours? A dynamic that implies mutual respect, on the side of those who welcome as well as those who are welcomed. In this direction, towards which Leo XIV, following Francis, encourages us, we all have a long way to go.