Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born pope of the Catholic Church, is preparing to deliver a clear message to US and European Union (EU) leaders on migration policies with his visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa on Saturday.
Pope Leo, who will spend July 4, the 250th anniversary of US independence, on the migration front, 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 broader detention powers for migrants and the establishment of deportation centers outside the bloc.
Lampedusa: 'Gateway to Europe'
Located just 145 kilometers from the Tunisian coast, Lampedusa is known for its white sandy beaches as well as its compassion for thousands of migrants and its embrace of the bodies of those who died at sea. In 2013, more than 360 people died 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 immigration. 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.
UNHCR spokesperson Filippo Ungaro told AFP that Leo's presence 'sends a clear message at a time when global political migration debates 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, about 1,330 people died or went missing while attempting the crossing. IOM Mediterranean Coordination Office Director Salvatore Sortino told AFP that this shows 'a great need to increase search and rescue efforts.'
Several rescue ships operated by aid groups that accuse EU officials of not doing enough to prevent deaths patrol the route. According to UNHCR data, more than 14,000 people, mostly 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.
