Pope Leo on Saturday commemorated the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence by urging Americans to embrace and protect immigrants in a letter addressed to his homeland, while visiting the Italian island of Lampedusa, a key entry point for migrants into Europe.
In his message, Pope Leo also urged the world to become “more human” by extending support to people displaced by war and poverty. The pontiff, who last year described President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies as “inhuman,” reiterated the need for compassion toward migrants.
While visiting Lampedusa, the Italian island that serves as a major entry point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean from Africa, Pope Leo called on European leaders to step up efforts to support new arrivals, which have exceeded 7,000 so far this year.
In a separate message marking the United States’ 250th Independence anniversary, Pope Leo said the Catholic commitment to protecting life also means “welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants.”
“To receive (immigrants) with compassion and generosity is not only an act of charity, but also a recognition of the dignity that belongs to every human person,” he told the United States.
Situated between Tunisia, Malta and Sicily, Lampedusa lies along one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors, with thousands of migrants attempting the perilous Mediterranean journey each year in overcrowded and often unsafe boats.
The visit mirrored that of the late Pope Francis, who chose Lampedusa as the destination of his first trip outside Rome after becoming pontiff in 2013.
Those who gathered near Italy’s southernmost harbour to welcome Pope Leo included recently arrived migrants, members of the Italian Coast Guard involved in search-and-rescue operations, and humanitarian aid workers.
Addressing those present, Pope Leo said he had come to reassure them that the pope “continues to accompany you, support you and encourage you.”
He also urged European leaders to adopt a broader approach to migration, calling for policies that combine emergency humanitarian assistance with “a long-term strategic plan capable of receiving, protecting, supporting and integrating migrants.”
Pope Leo further urged governments to invest in improving living conditions in migrants’ countries of origin so that fewer people are forced to leave their homes.
“The pope’s visit speaks to every one of us,” said Kandeh Abdourahman, a migrant who reached Lampedusa in 2015 after travelling through five African countries, crossing the Sahara Desert and making the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean, in comments to Reuters.
Abdourahman, who now works as a cultural mediator with the International Rescue Committee, said the visit serves as “a reminder that our stories are seen, that welcome is not just a word but an act of humanity.”
According to data from the U.N. Refugee Agency provided to Reuters, 14,464 migrants have reached Italy by sea so far this year, with more than half arriving through Lampedusa. The number of arrivals is more than double the island’s population of about 6,000 residents.
The U.N.’s International Organization for Migration also reported that more than 1,400 people, including 28 children, have died or remain missing while attempting the dangerous Mediterranean crossing this year.
Since assuming the papacy in May 2025, Pope Leo has consistently placed the protection of migrants at the heart of his message. Last month, he warned that history would judge leaders harshly if they mistreated immigrants.
In his first major message to the United States on Friday, the pontiff commended the country’s long tradition of welcoming immigrants and encouraged Americans to remain faithful to the principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence.
After arriving in Lampedusa just before 9 a.m. (0700 GMT) on Saturday, Pope Leo paid tribute to migrants who died crossing the Mediterranean by laying flowers at their graves in a local cemetery.
The pontiff later stopped at the “Door of Europe,” a symbolic monument honouring migrants on Italy’s southernmost shoreline, where he walked through the structure facing the Mediterranean despite blustery conditions.
According to Vatican officials, Pope Leo intentionally scheduled the visit to Lampedusa to coincide with the July 4 U.S. Independence Day celebrations, using the occasion to reinforce his message of solidarity with migrants.
“Pope Leo XIV’s presence sends a clear message at a time when the global political debate on migration is often framed around borders and deterrence rather than protection and shared responsibility,” Anna Leer, an official with the U.N. Refugee Agency, told Reuters.
“Every act of witness to the humanity of those who flee violence, persecution and conflict carries moral and political weight,” she said.
