Canary Islands Symposium | Refugees and Migrants in Our Common Home
Interest Form – Canary Islands Symposium | Refugees and Migrants in Our Common Home
Key information
📍 Canary Islands, Spain
📅 June 12–13, 2026
Pope Leo XIV recently announced that on June 11–13 he will visit the Canary Islands (Spain) — one of the principal migratory routes from Africa to Europe, where tens of thousands of migrants and refugees arrive each year. His presence there will be a profound act of solidarity, a reminder that every human being who makes that perilous crossing carries a name, a story, and an irreplaceable dignity.
To coincide with Pope Leo’s visit, Refugees and Migrants in Our Common Home will host a symposium on the Canary Islands, bringing together universities, Church institutions, social organizations, and partners working in the field of migration.
The gathering will begin the evening of Friday, June 12, with an informal reception following Pope Leo's address on the island of Tenerife, and will continue on Saturday, June 13 with a full day of conversation, connection, and discernment together. We are currently in conversation about a potential venue with universities on both islands that Pope Leo is visiting — Tenerife and Gran Canaria — and we will share those details as soon as they are confirmed.
One of the keynote speakers will be Ousman Umar — author, activist, and founder of NASCO Feeding Minds — whose personal journey reflects the reality faced by many migrants along the Atlantic route.
