Madrid: A young Senegalese migrant whose moving story touched the heart of Pope Francis is preparing to welcome Pope Leo XIV to the Canary Islands later this month, marking a deeply emotional moment in a journey that began with tragedy and ended in hope.
Ousseynou Fall, a former fisherman from Senegal, survived a dangerous sea crossing to Spain in 2020 during which he witnessed the deaths of many fellow migrants, including his own brother. Today, he works as a chef on Gran Canaria and has become a symbol of resilience, integration, and the human face of migration.
On June 11, Ousseynou will be among those greeting Pope Leo XIV when the Pontiff visits the Canary Islands at the end of his Apostolic Journey to Spain. The visit fulfils a wish first expressed by Pope Francis, who had planned to travel to the islands but was unable to do so because of illness and his subsequent death.
Speaking to Vatican Media, Ousseynou said he hopes the Pope's visit will draw greater attention to the suffering of migrants who risk their lives crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
“If I could speak with the Pope, the first thing I would ask is that he help us do much more for migrants who die along the way,” he said. “Many people wanted to come here but never arrived. My brother was one of them.”
Originally from Saint Louis, a coastal city in Senegal, Ousseynou worked as a fisherman before economic difficulties in the local fishing industry pushed him to seek a better future abroad. Together with his brother, he embarked on a perilous journey aboard a traditional wooden boat known as a cayuco.
The crossing was marked by extreme hardship. Passengers endured hunger, thirst, fear, and uncertainty as rough seas battered their vessel. As the boat began taking on water and sinking, rescue teams eventually spotted the migrants and brought them safely to Gran Canaria.
Ousseynou arrived at the port of ArguineguĂn on November 12, 2020. At the time, the harbour had become a symbol of Europe's migration crisis. Thousands of migrants were being housed in overcrowded conditions, leading many to describe it as the "pier of shame."
The young migrant remembers arriving exhausted, thirsty, and uncertain about his future. However, his life began to change shortly afterwards when local residents extended a helping hand.
A Spanish couple, Fermina and Cristobál, welcomed him into their home and became like family to him. Ousseynou affectionately calls them his mother and father. With support from local aid groups and the parish community, he learned Spanish and gradually built a new life.
When he first arrived, he could neither read nor write in Spanish. Through determination and community support, he developed language skills and trained for a profession. Today, he works as a chef in a hotel and is fully integrated into the local community.
His story reached Pope Francis through a letter he wrote in 2023. In it, Ousseynou invited the Pope to visit the Canary Islands and witness firsthand the realities faced by migrants arriving on Europe's shores. The letter deeply moved the late Pontiff, who had made migration one of the central concerns of his papacy.
Pope Francis envisioned a visit to the Canary Islands as a continuation of his pastoral outreach to migrant communities, following earlier visits to migrant arrival points such as Lampedusa and Lesbos.
Although he was unable to make the journey, Pope Leo XIV has now chosen to carry forward that commitment.
For Ousseynou, the upcoming visit represents much more than a papal event. It is a reminder of the compassion that transformed his life after one of its darkest moments. Standing once again at the port where he arrived six years ago with nothing but hope, he will welcome the Pope not only as a migrant survivor but as a citizen whose dignity and future were restored through solidarity and human kindness.