Pope Leo XIV has called on European leaders to take up the “momentous challenge” of managing migration during his visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa.

The pontiff urged Europe to help new arrivals better integrate and improve conditions in their countries of origin, during a mass on the island, which receives tens of thousands of immigrants a year.

“Those who have lost their lives in this sea are victims of both decisions made and decisions not made,” the Pope said.

Since becoming head of the Catholic Church in May 2025, the American Pope has repeatedly called for greater support for immigrants and criticized the US government’s anti-immigration policies.

He began the trip with a visit to a cemetery in Lampedusa and prayed at the graves of migrants who had died during the dangerous journey from Africa to Europe across the Mediterranean Sea.

The Pope was also at the “Gate of Europe” monument in memory of those who died trying to cross and spoke with a family of immigrants.

“From this distant corner of Europe in the Mediterranean Sea, one can perceive more clearly the transcendental challenge that the phenomenon of migration poses to European societies,” he told the island’s Catholics.

“Europe is capable of addressing the crisis in this region in a comprehensive manner, integrating immediate relief efforts into a long-term strategic plan capable of receiving, protecting, supporting and integrating migrants” and at the same time “helping developing countries so that no one is forced to emigrate,” he stated.

The island of Lampedusa, located 145 kilometers (90 miles) off the coast of Tunisia, is home to an overcrowded migrant reception center with difficult living conditions.

Those making the journey often travel on dilapidated and overcrowded vessels, making sea crossings more dangerous for those on board.

According to the UN’s International Organization for Migration, more than 1,400 people have died or gone missing trying to cross the Mediterranean this year, including 28 children.