Pope Leo XIV: States have ‘right’ to control borders, but migrants deserve dignity

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV has defended the right of states to regulate their borders while insisting migrants must always be treated with dignity.

Speaking to journalists on April 23 during the return flight from the apostolic journey to Africa, Pope Leo addressed a question on migration posed by Eva Fernández of COPE, responding that the issue is a global and complex phenomenon. Leo affirmed that states have a right to set rules for their borders and warned that unregulated entry can generate social disorder, calling simultaneously for the humane treatment of migrants and for greater economic responsibility from wealthier nations toward poorer regions.

“I personally believe that a state has the right to set rules for its borders. I am not saying that everyone must enter in any way, without order, creating situations that are sometimes more unjust in the place where they arrive,” Pope Leo said.

With reference to the upcoming apostolic journey to Spain (June 6-12), which will likely focus on the theme of immigration, the Pope framed this issue as a worldwide one, which “affects multiple states, not only Spain and Europe, but also the United States: it’s a global phenomenon.” He described the phenomenon as driven in large part by economic disparity, especially in countries where younger generations see no viable future and therefore aspire to move northward.

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However, Leo XIV implied that, in his view, wealthier regions cannot always meet the expectations of those seeking opportunity there. In this context, he linked the absence of regulation to the risk of disorder, stating that unmanaged migrant entry can lead to conditions that worsen injustice in host nations. “Everyone wants to go north, but so often the north has no answer.”

At the same time, the Pope insisted that border regulations do not negate moral obligations: “Many suffer issues of human treatment, trafficking, and so on; this also comes with migration.”

“So there is indeed a very great challenge here: even if a country says, ‘We cannot receive more,’ when people arrive, they are human beings and they deserve the respect that every human being deserves by virtue of human dignity,” the Pope remarked.

Leo XIV also directed attention to the responsibilities of economically developed nations. He asked what concrete measures wealthier countries are undertaking to improve conditions in poorer regions, suggesting that insufficient development contributes directly to migratory pressure. He proposed both state-level aid and private sector investment, including the involvement of large multinational corporations, as means to address supposed structural causes of migration.

“Why can we not seek, whether through state aid or through investments from large, wealthy multinational companies, to change the situations in countries like those we have visited on this journey?” the Pope asked.

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Referring specifically to Africa, the Pope criticized what he sees as a pattern in which the continent is viewed primarily as a source of raw materials for external enrichment. He argued that such an approach perpetuates inequality and indirectly fuels migration. According to his remarks, a more just global economic order – one that fosters local development – would reduce the necessity of emigration.

“Perhaps, at a global level, we need to work much more to promote greater justice and equality in the development of these African countries, so that there is no need to migrate to Spain,” the Pope said.