Pope Leo Condemns Europe’s Indifference to Migrant Deaths at Spain’s ‘Dock of Shame’
Pope Leo Condemns Europe’s Indifference to Migrant Deaths at Spain’s ‘Dock of Shame’
Pope Leo delivered his most forceful remarks yet on migration Thursday, standing at the dock of Arguineguín in Gran Canaria and warning that the world cannot “grow accustomed to counting the dead” as thousands risk their lives crossing the Atlantic in search of a better life in Europe.
The speech, delivered on the final leg of the pontiff’s week-long tour of Spain, was framed by a stark backdrop: rescue ships, a wooden cross assembled from the wreckage of migrant boats, and a memorial to those who did not survive the crossing.
A Dock That Became a Symbol of Failure
The venue carries heavy symbolic weight. The Arguineguín dock in Gran Canaria became known across Spain as the “dock of shame” in 2020, after images emerged of migrants sleeping on rat-infested jetties, some having gone weeks without blankets or showers, as arrivals along the Atlantic route surged.
Arrivals peaked at more than 46,000 in 2024 before dropping sharply. Last year, an estimated 1,906 people died attempting to cross into Europe along the Atlantic route alone.
‘Monsters Lurk in These Seas’
“Even today, monsters lurk in these seas: mafias that traffic in despair, traffickers who enslave women and children, and those whose indifference allows the poor to be swallowed up by exploitation or oblivion,” Leo told the gathered crowd.
The US-born pope called on world leaders to establish legal and safe pathways for immigration, strengthen international cooperation against human trafficking, and fund search-and-rescue operations at sea.
“Human dignity has no passport and does not lose its value when crossing a border,” he said.
A Direct Challenge to Europe
Leo singled out Europe by name, urging the continent to confront the tragedy of migration as a “call to conscience.” His remarks arrive as the European Union pursues an increasingly hardline approach to irregular migration.
From Italy’s escalating crackdown on NGO rescue vessels operating in the Mediterranean to a new bloc-wide law that critics say mirrors the enforcement model of the US immigration system, the direction of EU policy stands in direct tension with the pope’s appeal.
“Europe cannot claim to uphold human dignity while growing accustomed to the Mediterranean and Atlantic becoming graveyards without headstones,” Leo said.
Rights groups have warned that EU cooperation agreements with African countries are increasingly prioritising deterrence over the protection of migrants’ rights, with alleged abuses going largely unchallenged by Brussels.
Testimony From Survivors
The ceremony also featured testimony from first responders, humanitarian workers, and migrants themselves. A Nigerian woman described the impossible choice she had faced: “I had to choose: live in suffering, or cross and risk it all. Die trying, or stay and not have anything.”
Her journey led to her being trafficked into prostitution and her baby being taken from her. Leo responded by telling her she was “a blessing from God” and deserved happiness.
Addressing migrants directly, the pope said: “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.”
An Echo of Francis at Lampedusa
Leo concluded by casting a wreath of flowers into the sea, accompanied by a moment of silence for those who died in transit — a deliberate echo of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who visited the Italian island of Lampedusa in 2013 and denounced what he called the “globalisation of indifference” towards migrants.
More than a decade later, the death toll continues to rise, and the political will to act remains contested.