Pope Leo concluded a week-long visit to Spain on Friday by delivering a direct and forceful appeal to human traffickers and criminal groups preying on migrants attempting the perilous sea route to the Canary Islands. Speaking on the final day of his three-stop tour, the pontiff addressed those who "take advantage of peoples desperation (or) organise death routes," urging them to "stop. Repent."
The pope, identified in his remarks as the first U.S. pope, framed his admonition in theological terms, telling his audience that those responsible for exploiting migrants "will have to appear before divine justice." He repeated the call to "repent while there is still time," invoking the Catholic teaching that without confession and reparation, grave wrongdoing risks condemnation after death.
His visit to the Canary Islands - an archipelago more than 1,000 km (620 miles) from mainland Spain that serves as a major gateway into Europe for migrants - included meetings with charities and a visit to an interim housing centre on Tenerife. There he listened to personal testimonies from migrants, and aid workers, underscoring the immediacy of the humanitarian challenge on the islands.
In a meeting with charities on Friday, the pope said the "tears and blood" of migrants exploited on the journey to Europe "cry out to God." His comments coincided with the day the European Union's Migration Pact, which tightens asylum rules, came fully into force.
The Canary Islands experienced a marked increase in irregular arrivals in recent years. Official data shows migration to the islands peaked in 2024 with 46,843 irregular migrants, compared with fewer than 1,000 arrivals in 2015. Non-governmental organisation Caminando Fronteras reported that more than 3,000 people died in 2025 trying to reach the islands.
During his time on the islands, the pope heard the testimony of migrants housed in an interim facility that has processed some 70,000 people since opening in 2021. One migrant, Bousso Diouf, told the pontiff that migrants sought neither special privileges nor favors, but rather "respect, humanity and the opportunity to live with dignity."
The popes comments on trafficking were delivered against a backdrop of law enforcement actions and security assessments reported this year. Europols 2025 report, cited during related discussions, described how migrant smugglers and human traffickers have adapted to exploit geopolitical instability and economic pressures, using online tools to recruit and exploit potential victims. Authorities have dismantled several criminal networks: this year police broke up a Nigerian-run trafficking ring operating in Spain and a separate network exploiting Ukrainian women who had been granted protection status in Spain. In an operation last year, Spanish authorities also dismantled a trafficking ring that had lured more than 1,000 women into the country with false job offers and forced many into sex work.
The papal visit to the Canaries came at the end of a domestic itinerary that began in Madrid and included an address to the Spanish parliament - the first time a pope has addressed that body - where the pontiff warned that escalating global conflicts were driving the world toward a deep crisis. He also visited Barcelona and inaugurated the newest spire of the Sagrada Familia, now reported as the worlds tallest church. His presence drew large crowds during the week, including more than 1.2 million people in one of Madrids main squares on Sunday.
Spains national approach to migration provides additional context to the popes island visit. The country has pursued a relatively open policy compared with much of Europe, introducing a program intended to grant residency to more than half a million undocumented people. That initiative has attracted criticism from far-right political leaders, and officials acknowledge challenges with the slow pace of granting legal status to thousands left in limbo.
On his final day in Tenerife, the pope visited the interim housing centre that has received around 70,000 arrivals since 2021 and again reiterated his moral critique of those who let migrants suffer. He told world leaders during an earlier meeting on the islands that history will judge those who allowed people fleeing war or poverty to endure deprivation and peril without adequate response.
Pope Leo was scheduled to depart for Rome at roughly 3 p.m. (1400 GMT) on Friday, marking the end of the pastoral and diplomatic leg of his week-long tour.
Summary
Pope Leo finished a week-long tour of Spain by sharply admonishing human traffickers who exploit migrants bound for the Canary Islands, calling on them to repent or face divine judgment. On Tenerife he met charities and migrants at an interim housing centre, heard pleas for dignity from people who undertook dangerous crossings, and spoke as the EUs tighter Migration Pact took effect. The visit highlighted urgent humanitarian pressures on the islands, the evolving tactics of criminal networks, and the political tensions surrounding Spains migration policies.
Key Points
- The pope directly addressed traffickers and criminal groups, warning of divine consequences for those who exploit migrants - an appeal that also underscored moral accountability for political leaders.
- The Canary Islands have seen a sharp rise in irregular migration, peaking in 2024 with 46,843 arrivals, and NGOs report high mortality on crossing routes into 2025.
- Law enforcement and Europol reports indicate traffickers are using online tools and evolving business models, with several criminal networks dismantled in recent years - developments with implications for law enforcement, humanitarian NGOs, and legal services.
Risks and Uncertainties
- Continued high flows of migrants risk sustained humanitarian pressure on housing, social services, and interim reception infrastructure in the Canary Islands and mainland Spain.
- Criminal networks adapting to online recruitment and exploitation methods may complicate law enforcement and increase vulnerabilities for migrants and sectors that provide social support.
- Political friction over migration policy - including criticism of Spains residency programme and the slow pace of legal status grantings - introduces uncertainty for migrants in limbo and for agencies managing integration and public services.
Image prompt: A solemn scene at an interim migrant reception centre on Tenerife: a white-robed pope standing respectfully before a group of migrants of diverse ages and backgrounds, some seated and some standing, expressions ranging from hope to fatigue; aid workers and volunteers nearby; the centres low-slung buildings and distant Atlantic coastline visible under a bright Canary Islands sky; natural, documentary-style lighting; no text or signage visible.