Pope Leo XIV has commended Italy for its efforts in combating human trafficking but urged the country to remain open to welcoming and integrating migrants.
The Holy Father made the appeal on Tuesday during his meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, a traditional ceremony observed by every new pontiff.
Escorted by the presidential horse honour guard into the palace courtyard, Pope Leo expressed gratitude to Italy for its warm reception of pilgrims during the 2025 Holy Year, which has attracted millions of additional visitors to the Eternal City.
Wearing his formal red cape and brocaded stole, he thanked Italy for its “generous assistance” to migrants.
The pope said the Country should maintain “its attitude of openness and solidarity.”
“At the same time, I wish to emphasise the importance of constructive integration of newcomers into the values and traditions of Italian society, so that the mutual gift realised in this encounter of peoples may truly enrich and benefit all,” he said.
The Pope’s remarks come amid Italy’s central role in Europe’s ongoing debate on migration. The country’s proximity to North Africa has made it a major landing point for smuggling operations departing from Libya and Tunisia.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government has made curbing illegal migration a priority, by returning migrants to their countries of origin or to detention facilities in Albania, and prosecuting suspected traffickers.
Like his predecessor, Pope Francis, Leo XIV has positioned himself as a strong advocate for migrants’ rights.
In his first encyclical, he reaffirmed that “migrants and refugees do not only represent a problem to be solved, but are brothers and sisters to be welcomed, respected, and loved.”
Africa.news/ Hauwa Mustapha