IOM Director General Meets Pope Leo XIV: Call for Urgent Reform to Protect Migrants and End Smugglers’ Exploitation

Rome/Geneva, 2 October 2025- The Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Amy Pope, concluded a two-day visit to Italy today that included her first official audience with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV in Vatican City, as well as a field mission to Lampedusa, the main landing point for migrants arriving by sea.

In their meeting, Pope Leo XIV and the Director General reaffirmed their shared commitment to upholding human dignity, saving lives, and strengthening solidarity with people on the move. Both underscored the urgent need for international cooperation to address the realities of migration in a way that puts people, not politics, at the center.

"Today, irregular arrivals by sea are a stark reminder of a system that is broken," said DG Pope. "Smugglers are winning while people are suffering. Far too many are forced onto unsafe boats, risking their lives for lack of alternatives. We must work together to reform this system, dismantle the smuggling networks that profit from despair, and expand safe, regular pathways that protect dignity and create opportunity."

During the audience, the Director General and His Holiness reflected on the tragic loss of life in the Mediterranean, including the anniversaries of deadly shipwrecks off Lampedusa. DG Pope stressed that every life lost is a call to urgent action and thanked Italian authorities, the Coast Guard, and IOM staff working tirelessly on the frontline.

The Pope's recent words describing migrants as "messengers of hope" were echoed throughout the exchange. Both leaders agreed that migration, when managed safely and responsibly, is not a burden but a blessing - an opportunity for renewal, growth, and solidarity.

DG Pope's visit to Lampedusa on Wednesday included meetings with newly arrived migrants, many of whom had just been rescued at sea. She also met with representatives of the Ministry of Interior, the Italian Coast Guard, and the Mayor of Lampedusa to discuss ongoing humanitarian needs and the importance of coordinated responses. On the ground, she observed IOM cultural mediators - some of whom are themselves former migrants - supporting arrivals and helping ensure that frightened people are met with compassion and care.

The Director General also met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin to discuss global humanitarian contexts where IOM and the Holy See can strengthen cooperation, including Gaza, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The visit concluded with DG Pope's participation in the international conference Refugees & Migrants in Our Common Home, organized by Villanova University, which brought together global partners to address the realities of displacement and reaffirm shared responsibility in building humane and sustainable migration systems.

For more information, please visit IOM's Media Centre.