Carmen Álvarez Cuadrado
The Canary Islands are the hinge on which turns the Atlantic migration route, one of the deadliest in the world. Pope Francis had always wanted to visit. He died before he could, but Pope Leo has now fulfilled his predecessors wish.
During his visit to the Islands, the pope listened to several testimonies, two of which were particularly notable. One was from a rescue worker; the other, from a victim of human trafficking, who could not attend for security reasons, so a volunteer read her letter to Pope Leo.
During these years, together with my team, I must have rescued more than 20,000 people at sea. It is a number that hurts, one that is impossible to forget. We all know the image of the Canary Islands by day, but at night it is a different reality: rough seas, total darkness, and fragile boats carrying human lives.
During the journey, I became pregnant by a man from the mafia. When I arrived in Spain, they took my baby away from me to force me into prostitution. They treated me very badly. They separated me from my child. He was 11 months old when the police arrested the people who were holding me captive, and I was finally able to have him with me. Since then, with the help of the Church through social workers, life has begun to change.
Afterwards, the pope shared remarks. His messages about the migration crisis were clear and emphasized two key points. First, that migration is often closely linked to criminal trafficking networks.
POPE LEO XIV
Do not hand over your lives to those who profit from them. Do not believe those who promise easy paradises in exchange for your body, your money, your silence, or your freedom. Those false promises are “sirens’ songs,” they are industries of death.
His second point was that migration must be understood from various perspectives, which include factors such as the social conditions in a migrant's country of origin or the responsibility of wealthier nations to assist in the crisis.
POPE LEO XIV
This tragedy must become an examination of conscience: for the countries of origin, which must create conditions of peace, justice, and development; for the transit countries, which are called upon to protect people and not leave the vulnerable in the hands of criminal networks; for Europe, which cannot proclaim human dignity while becoming accustomed to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic serving as graveyards without tombstones; and for the international community, which is called to engage in effective and persistent cooperation.
This gathering took place at the port of Arguineguín, which is also known as the “port of shame,” on Gran Canaria. During the height of the Covid pandemic in 2020, around 3,000 migrants arrived there in small boats after weeks of traveling. When the government fell short, the people of the Canary Islands and the Church stepped in.
