Pope urges protection, integration of migrants on visit to island frontier

Pope Leo XIV visited Italy's Lampedusa island on Saturday, a symbolic trip to a frontier that has long been at the centre of Europe's migration debate. During Mass, he described migration as a "momentous challenge" for European societies but said the continent had the capacity to respond with compassion and planning.

"Europe is capable of addressing the crisis in this region in a comprehensive manner," he said, calling for immediate relief to be matched with a long-term plan to "receive, protect, support and integrate migrants." He urged European countries to support development in migrants' countries of origin so that people would not be forced to leave due to poverty, insecurity or conflict.

The Pope began his visit by praying at a cemetery where migrants who died at sea are buried. He later visited the "Door of Europe" memorial, dedicated to those who risk their lives trying to reach the continent. He also blessed a plaque renaming a migrant arrival pier after his predecessor Pope Francis, who visited Lampedusa in 2013 on his first trip outside Rome after becoming pontiff.

Lampedusa, closer to Tunisia than mainland Italy, has received thousands of people rescued after the dangerous central Mediterranean crossing. Many others have died or disappeared while attempting the journey in overcrowded boats. The Pope's visit came as governments in Europe and the United States have placed growing emphasis on border controls, detention and deportations.

In a separate message to Americans marking the 250th anniversary of US independence, the first US-born Pope said defending human life also meant "welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants."

More than 14,000 migrants have reached Italy by sea so far this year, according to the UN refugee agency, with more than half landing in Lampedusa. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says more than 1,400 people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean this year. The Pope said the deaths were the result of "choices made and unmade," adding that the memory of those lost at sea should weigh on Europe, alongside the needs of those who survive the journey.