Pope Leo XIV renewed his support for migrants on Friday in the Canary Islands, saying "all of us are migrants" and urged newcomers to do their part to integrate, on the final day of a weeklong visit to Spain focused on migration issues.
Calling integration a "reciprocal journey", the pope urged migrants learn the language of their host country, "to respect its laws, to get to know its customs, to participate in communal life", during a meeting in Tenerife with organisations that work with migrants.
Leo also warned that migrants face a "silent shipwreck" after arrival, "left alone in a city, without a voice, without ties, work or a sense of security, and exposed to those who take advantage of vulnerability".
Tenerife is one of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic, which have become a gateway for tens of thousands of irregular arrivals seeking a better life in Europe.
The leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics is concluding his trip with a call for more help for migrants and action against traffickers, at a time when immigration remains a hot topic of political debate.
