Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born head of the Catholic Church, is preparing to send a clear message to US and European Union (EU) leaders on migration policies during his visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa on Saturday.
Pope Leo, who will spend July 4, the 250th anniversary of US independence, on a migration frontline, had previously described the Trump administration's treatment of migrants as 'inhumane'.
Leo's visit comes just two weeks after the EU approved new migration rules that allow for broader detention powers for migrants and the establishment of deportation centers outside the bloc.
Lampedusa: 'Europe's Gateway'
Located just 145 kilometers from the Tunisian coast, Lampedusa is known not only for its white sandy beaches but also for the compassion it has shown to thousands of migrants and for embracing the bodies of those who have died at sea. In 2013, more than 360 people lost their lives in the island's worst shipwreck, and dozens more have drowned in the years since.
Pope Leo, who has previously praised the generosity of this fishing and tourism community of about 6,000 people, will begin his visit at the cemetery where unidentified migrants are buried in numbered graves. He will then visit the 'Gateway to Europe' monument dedicated to migrants and hold a brief meeting with a migrant family.
At the dock where people rescued by coast guard or aid organization vessels are brought to safety, Leo will bless a plaque dedicated to Pope Francis, who made his first visit to Lampedusa in 2013 shortly after his election. He will then celebrate Mass at a sports field.
Criticism of the US and EU
Leo, who criticized human traffickers during a previous visit to the Canary Islands, has also frequently targeted measures aimed at curbing illegal migration. In a speech on Friday marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, he called for 'moderation' in American public discourse, saying that 'successive waves of immigrants' have shaped the country's future.
Filippo Ungaro, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told AFP that Leo's presence 'sends a clear message at a time when global political debates on migration should be framed around protection and shared responsibility, rather than borders and deterrence.'
The world's deadliest route
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Central Mediterranean crossing from North Africa is the world's deadliest migration route. Last year, around 1,330 people died or went missing while attempting the crossing. Salvatore Sortino, director of the IOM's Mediterranean Coordination Office, told AFP that this shows 'a huge need to step up search and rescue efforts.'
Several rescue ships operated by aid organizations that accuse EU authorities of not doing enough to prevent deaths patrol the route. According to UNHCR data, more than 14,000 people, most of them departing from Libya, reached Italy in the first six months of the year, and about 60 percent of them landed in Lampedusa. These numbers are far below the peaks of 2011, when maritime border controls collapsed during the Arab Spring uprisings.
