Pope Leo XIV has urged European leaders to meet the substantial challenge of managing migration flows as he toured the Italian island of Lampedusa.

The pontiff encouraged Europe to facilitate better integration for newcomers and enhance living conditions in their countries of origin, during a mass held on the island that sees tens of thousands of migrants annually.

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

Since taking leadership of the Catholic Church in May 2025, the Pope has consistently advocated for increased migrant support and spoken against policies restricting migration.

His journey occurs two weeks after the EU endorsed stricter migrant regulations permitting tighter border controls and expanded detention authorities.

It reflects a broader pattern of governments adopting firmer positions on undocumented migration, with several nations, including the UK and Italy, implementing measures to discourage it.

The Pope started his visit by going to a cemetery on Lampedusa where he prayed at the graves of migrants who perished during the hazardous trip from Africa to Europe over the Mediterranean Sea.

He also paused at the "Door of Europe" memorial for those lost in the crossing and conversed with a migrant family.

"From this remote part of Europe on the Mediterranean Sea, one can more clearly perceive the substantial challenge that the phenomenon of migration poses to European societies," the Pope told Catholics on the island.

"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" while "assisting developing countries so that no one is forced to emigrate", he said.

The island of Lampedusa - which sits 90 miles (145km) off Tunisia's coast - is home to a migrant reception centre that is overcrowded with challenging living conditions.

Those who make the journey often travel in poorly maintained and overcrowded vessels, making sea crossings more perilous for those aboard.

More than 1,400 people have died or gone missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean this year, including 28 children, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration.

New migrants, rescue officials, members of aid groups and the Italian Coast Guard were among those to gather to see the Pope.

The Pope "continues to accompany you, support you and encourage you", he told the gathering.

"The pope's visit speaks to every one of us," Kandeh Abdourahman, a migrant who arrived in Lampedusa in 2015, told news agency Reuters.

It was "a reminder that our stories are seen, that welcome is not just a word but an act of humanity", said Abdourahman, now a cultural mediator with the International Rescue Committee.