Pope urges  European leaders to make greater investment in developing migrants’ countries of origin

Pope Leo XIV has urged European countries to invest in the development of poorer nations to tackle the root causes of migration, saying no one should be forced to leave their homeland in search of safety or a better life.

The pontiff delivered the message on Saturday during a visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa, one of the main entry points for migrants crossing the Mediterranean into Europe. The trip combined prayer, remembrance and a renewed appeal for compassion toward migrants and refugees.

Speaking during Mass after visiting the island’s migrant cemetery and meeting new arrivals at the port, Pope Leo called on European leaders to adopt a comprehensive approach to migration that combines humanitarian assistance with long-term development initiatives.

“Speaking from this far-flung corner of Europe on the Mediterranean Sea,” the Pope urged governments to provide immediate relief while receiving, protecting, supporting and integrating migrants. He also called for greater investment in developing migrants’ countries of origin “so that no one is forced to leave.”

He praised the people of Lampedusa for what he described as the “miracle of compassion” they have shown in welcoming migrants over the years.

“This is a place where gestures speak louder than words,” Leo said. “But for gestures to be human, they need a heart.”

Reflecting on the thousands who have died attempting the dangerous Mediterranean crossing, the Pope said the victims continued to challenge the conscience of Europe.

“Here you have seen not just one, but thousands of human beings fallen into the hands of robbers who have taken everything from them, beat them brutally and walked away, leaving them half-dead,” he said. Referring to those who perished at sea, he added: “Yet we feel their presence, which challenges us no less than that of those who have landed in need of attention and aid.”

The visit carried significance beyond Europe. Earlier in the day, as the United States marked the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the American-born Pope issued a message urging Americans to uphold the country’s tradition of welcoming immigrants.

In a July 4 letter, Leo said protecting human life includes “welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants, whose hopes, sacrifices and contribution have formed part of the history of this country from its very beginning.” He added that receiving migrants with “compassion and generosity” is both an act of charity and recognition of the inherent dignity of every person.

The remarks come amid continuing tensions between the Vatican and the administration of President Donald Trump over immigration policies and mass deportations.

Lampedusa, located closer to North Africa than mainland Italy, has for years been at the centre of Europe’s migration crisis, serving as the first destination for hundreds of thousands of migrants departing from Libya and Tunisia, often aboard overcrowded boats operated by human traffickers.

According to Italy’s Interior Ministry, 14,464 migrants had reached the country by sea this year as of Friday, compared with 30,598 during the same period last year.

Despite the decline in arrivals, the International Organization for Migration estimates that more than 35,000 migrants have gone missing in the Mediterranean since 2014, with the actual toll believed to be significantly higher because many shipwrecks are never documented.

During his visit, Pope Leo laid a wreath of yellow and white flowers at Lampedusa’s migrant cemetery, where many graves are marked by simple wooden crosses fashioned from the remains of wrecked migrant boats.

The visit echoed that of Pope Francis, who chose Lampedusa for his first pastoral trip outside Rome in 2013 and condemned what he called the “globalization of indifference” toward migrants. Like his predecessor, Pope Leo used the island to renew the Church’s call for solidarity, insisting that addressing poverty, conflict and lack of opportunity in less developed nations remains essential to preventing forced migration.