Pope Leo: Migrants must not be treated 'worse than house pets'

ROME - Migrants must not be treated "worse than house pets," Pope Leo XIV said on Thursday as he ended his lengthy visit to Africa.

On the return flight to Rome, Leo advocated for "greater justice and equality" at the global level to tackle the conditions leading Africans to emigrate toward Europe.

He called on countries and "large, rich, multinational companies" to help "change the situation in countries like those we visited on this trip."

The head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics visited Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea over the past week and a half during what has been his longest trip abroad since he succeeded Francis as pope last year.

Leo, the first pontiff from the United States, warned that Africa is viewed as continent "where one can go to take minerals, to take its riches, to enrich others in other countries."

His next trip is to Spain in June, where he plans to visit the Canary Islands, a destination for many African migrants.

With reference to those leaving their home country, Leo said: "They are human beings and we need to treat human beings in an humanitarian way and not worse than house pets, animals."

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