Villanova University to Convene International Migration Symposium in Canary Islands Alongside Visit of Pope Leo XIV

TENERIFE, SPAIN (May 20, 2026) - As global attention turns to the Canary Islands during the visit of Pope Leo XIV, Villanova University will convene an international symposium on migration at the Universidad de La Laguna (Tenerife) from June 11-14, bringing together researchers, practitioners, Church leaders, policymakers, civil society organizations and migrants at one of Europe's most critical migration frontiers.

The gathering takes place in the Canary Islands-along the Atlantic route from West Africa, currently the deadliest migration route in the world-and coincides with the visit of Pope Leo XIV, placing the event at the center of global attention on migration and human dignity. Organized by Villanova University, through its Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration, the symposium forms part of the global initiative Refugees & Migrants in Our Common Home-a multi-year effort to mobilize a growing worldwide community of higher education partners, scholars, community-based organizations, educators, students, migrants and refugees for coordinated, long-term action.

The symposium builds on the first global gathering of Refugees & Migrants in Our Common Home, held in Rome in October 2025, where participants were received in a private audience by Pope Leo XIV, underscoring the moral and global significance of the initiative. The Canary Islands gathering represents the next step: bringing that global framework into a specific regional context and advancing its transition from dialogue to implementation.

"This is a moment to move from principles to practice," said Professor Michele Pistone, Faculty Director of the Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration. "By bringing together those who study migration, those who accompany migrants, and those who bring lived experience as migrants, we are creating the conditions for real collaboration and coordinated long-term action."

More than a conference, the symposium is structured around field visits, collaborative working groups, and short-form presentations, bringing together approximately 65 participants-including academics, community leaders, representatives of faith-based and civil society organizations, policymakers, and migrants and refugees themselves-to advance concrete Action Plans across four areas: teaching, research, advocacy and service.

The core of the gathering takes place on June 13 at the Universidad de La Laguna, with a full day of dialogue and collaboration beginning with keynote remarks by Professor Michele Pistone (Villanova University, Faculty Director, Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration), Dr. Francisco J. García Rodríguez (Rector, Universidad de La Laguna), Bishop Eloy A. Santiago, the Rev. John J. Lydon, OSA (Villanova University, Director, Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration), and Ousman Umar, followed by sessions on the initiative's guiding principles, panel discussions, and lightning talks. The afternoon focuses on the Atlantic Ecclesial Hospitality Network and a reflection on the social teaching of Pope Leo XIV on migration, alongside a dedicated "Migrant Voices" session, before concluding with collaborative working groups, a closing circle, and a final reception. The symposium concludes on June 14 with a closing Mass at the Cathedral of La Laguna.

For more information, visit: https://migrationandacademia.org/international-symposium-canary-islands/

About Refugees & Migrants in Our Common Home
Refugees & Migrants in Our Common Home is a comprehensive, multi-year global initiative mobilizing academic institutions, policy makers, researchers, refugees, migrants and leaders dedicated to advancing dignity, justice, hope and opportunity for migrants and refugees. Led by Villanova University's Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration in collaboration with partners such as MIT's Systems Awareness Lab, Jesuit Refugee Services, the Scalabrini International Migration Institute, and various Vatican Dicasteries, it is an initiative with a long-term commitment to "compassionate systems change".

More than just a single symposium, this multi-year project models a new way forward, where academics, students, policy-makers, and community partners come together to form a constellation of institutions converging to collaborate and share ideas, resources, and expertise. Together, they are building and implementing concrete Action Plans in four key areas-teaching, research, advocacy and services with migrants and refugees-that inspire change and foster mutual understanding.

About Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration
The Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration at Villanova University engages university and community partners in teaching, scholarship, advocacy and service with migrants and refugees. The Institute draws inspiration from Villanova's core Augustinian values of Veritas, Unitas and Caritas, reflects the University's mission and history, and advances its Rooted. Restless. Strategic Plan.

In addition, the Institute honors the legacy of Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, the Patron Saint of immigrants, and carries on the foundational work done by Cabrini University and its Center on Immigration.

About Villanova University
Since 1842, Villanova University's Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges-the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation's top universities, Villanova supports its students' intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu.