Pope Leo XIV visited Tenerife, the largest Canary Island, on June 12, 2026, the last day of his weeklong Spain tour focused on migration issues [1, 2]. He addressed hundreds of migrants at the Las Raices reception centre, housed in former military barracks once criticized for overcrowding, and held an open-air mass in Santa Cruz de Tenerife later that day [1, 2].
The US-born pontiff urged migrants to integrate by learning the host country's language, respecting its laws, and actively participating in community life. He described integration as a "reciprocal journey" requiring effort from both migrants and the host societies [1]. The pope asked local communities to welcome migrants fleeing war, poverty, and climate change and warned against abandoning them after dangerous crossings [1].
He condemned human trafficking and called on traffickers to "stop and repent," describing them as "monsters who enslave women and children" and criticizing the indifference that leaves vulnerable people exploited and forgotten in the Canary Islands [1, 2]. The pope emphasized the human toll of migration routes to the Canaries, where nearly 1,200 migrants died or went missing en route from Africa in 2025, making it one of the world’s deadliest migration paths [2]. "Every life lost on these routes is a failure for the human family," he said, highlighting the urgency of addressing "silent shipwrecks" and migrant deaths at sea [1, 2].
To honor those who lost their lives, Pope Leo XIV cast a wreath into the sea at Arguineguin port, a major landing spot for migrants [2]. He repeated calls for respect and dignity, stating "Human dignity has no passport" and framing all people as pilgrims, saying, "In a sense, all of us are migrants, for we are all pilgrims on our way to our heavenly homeland" [1, 2].
Tenerife and the Canary Islands have become key gateways for tens of thousands seeking better lives in Europe, underscoring the pressing challenges faced by the local population and migrants alike [1, 2]. On June 11, the day before arriving in Tenerife, Pope Leo XIV visited Gran Canaria as part of his tour [2].
