Speaking in Tenerife, one of the islands that has become a major route for irregular migration to Europe, the pope described integration as a “reciprocal journey” and called on migrants to learn local languages, respect laws, understand customs and participate in community life.

The pope also warned of what he called a “silent shipwreck” after migrants reach their destinations, saying some are left without support, social connections, work or security and become vulnerable to exploitation.

The visit marked the final day of a weeklong trip to Spain focused on migration issues. The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics called for greater assistance for migrants and stronger action against human trafficking networks.

He urged those involved in trafficking people to “stop and repent,” drawing applause from the audience.

Tenerife and other Canary Islands have become a gateway for thousands of migrants attempting to reach Europe from Africa. The route across the Atlantic has been among the world’s most dangerous migration paths.

Earlier in the visit, Leo condemned indifference toward migrants and honored those who died attempting the journey by casting a wreath into the sea at the port of Arguineguin.

“Human dignity has no passport,” he said while blessing a wooden cross made from material taken from a migrant boat.

The International Organization for Migration reported that nearly 1,200 people died or went missing while traveling from Africa to the Canary Islands last year.

The pope said the deaths should prompt governments in countries of origin and transit to address the conditions that push people to flee poverty and conflict, while also confronting trafficking groups.

Leo is scheduled to travel to Rome after the visit and is expected to speak with reporters during the journey. He is also set to visit Italy’s Lampedusa island on July 4, another major arrival point for migrants entering Europe.

A first group of passengers, all Spanish nationals and none displaying symptoms of infection, disembarked from the ship into small boats as the vessel approached the Port of Granadilla in Tenerife, Spain’s health ministry said.

Spanish officials said the passengers would be transported in sealed military buses directly to Tenerife’s airport before being flown aboard a government aircraft to Madrid for hospital evaluation and quarantine measures.

Authorities said all passengers would undergo testing by Spanish health officials before onward transport. Foreign nationals are expected to be repatriated in stages using specially arranged flights coordinated by their respective governments rather than commercial air services.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, or ECDC, classified all passengers and crew as high-risk contacts as a precautionary measure in rapid scientific guidance issued late Saturday. The agency said symptomatic passengers should receive priority medical evaluation and testing upon arrival and may either remain isolated in Tenerife or be medically evacuated home depending on their condition.

Thirty crew members are expected to remain aboard the vessel, which will later sail to the Netherlands for disinfection operations, according to Spanish authorities.The ship departed waters off Cape Verde earlier this week after the World Health Organization and the European Union requested Spain coordinate the evacuation effort following confirmation of the outbreak.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Tenerife on Saturday alongside senior Spanish ministers to oversee preparations for the ship’s arrival and passenger transfer operations.The WHO said eight people aboard the vessel had fallen ill, including three fatalities involving a Dutch couple and a German national.

Six infections have been laboratory confirmed, while two additional cases remain under investigation.Hantavirus is primarily transmitted through exposure to infected rodents, though health officials say limited person-to-person transmission can occur in rare circumstances.

The WHO has assessed the risk to the wider global population as low while describing the threat to passengers and crew aboard the vessel as moderate.Spanish authorities said evacuation operations were expected to continue throughout the day under strict biosecurity protocols at Tenerife’s Port of Granadilla.

Tedros said he would travel to Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands to oversee the disembarkation of passengers, crew members and medical personnel from the Dutch-flagged cruise vessel MV Hondius, which is carrying around 150 people.“I arrived in Spain, where I will join senior government officials in a mission to Tenerife to oversee safe disembarkation,” Tedros said in a post on X.

Three passengers a Dutch couple and a German woman have died after contracting hantavirus during the voyage, while several others have fallen ill, according to health officials.The outbreak has drawn heightened international attention after authorities confirmed infections linked to the Andes virus strain, the only known hantavirus variant capable of transmitting between humans.

Most hantavirus infections are typically spread through contact with infected rodents or their droppings.Tedros said he had remained in direct contact with the ship’s captain, Jan Dobrogowski, and WHO physician Freddy Banza-Mutoka, who is on board the vessel.

“At this stage, there are no additional people on board showing symptoms of hantavirus,” Tedros said, adding that the World Health Organization continued to monitor the situation closely.

He also said the health risk to residents of the Canary Islands and the broader international public remained low.The MV Hondius is expected to dock in Tenerife on Sunday, where Spanish authorities have prepared surveillance and containment measures before arranging special flights to return passengers to their home countries.

Spain’s government said Tedros would meet Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid before traveling to the Canary Islands alongside Spain’s health and interior ministers.Spanish ministry officials said the WHO chief would join a command center in Tenerife responsible for coordinating health controls, interagency cooperation and emergency response protocols linked to the ship’s arrival.

The incident has intensified scrutiny over infectious disease preparedness aboard international cruise vessels, particularly involving pathogens with rare but potentially serious transmission characteristics.