Pope Leo XIV has issued an urgent global appeal calling for the care and protection of young migrants and refugees, urging people everywhere to take personal responsibility for minors facing extreme danger along migration routes. Speaking at the conclusion of his General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope directed attention to the plight of displaced children and adolescents, emphasizing that they are the most vulnerable victims of forced movement, often enduring unspeakable suffering, violence, exploitation, and even loss of life as they flee their homelands.
The Pope’s address comes in anticipation of the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees on September 27. Drawing from his official message for the day, themed “Even just one of these children,” Pope Leo stressed that millions of young people are forced to migrate due to war, poverty, environmental disasters, and violence. He highlighted the severe threats they encounter along their journeys—including human trafficking, recruitment into armed conflicts, sexual violence, and forced marriage—warning that their basic human dignity is continually trampled upon.
Emphasizing that the global migration crisis cannot be viewed simply through statistics, the Pope called for a deeply human and moral response centered on Jesus’s words: “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.” He urged individuals, communities, and leaders to feel personally involved in guaranteeing the safety, care, and integration of young migrants, reminding the global community of its shared responsibility toward these vulnerable lives.
The Pope’s appeal underscores a growing global crisis reflected in recent data from the UNHCR’s Global Trends 2025 report. By the end of 2025, an estimated 117.8 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced, with children representing a staggering portion of that population—accounting for 45 million of those displaced overall, and nearly 40 percent of all refugees globally.