Watch: Pope arrives in Marseille to lead prayers for migrants

Watch as Pope Francis arrives in Marseille for a two-day visit on Friday, 22 September.

The pontiff will be greeted by French prime minister Elisabeth Borne before leading prayers at the Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde for migrants who have died crossing the Mediterranean Sea.

The trip was months in the planning, but now comes after thousands of migrants arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Almost 130,000 migrants have arrived in Italy so far this year, according to government data, which makes migration a problem for the entire European Union according to Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni.

The Pope is known for openness towards migrants, but has previously said that they should be shared among the 27 EU countries.

He once called their exclusion "scandalous, disgusting and sinful."

The pontiff will meet with Emmanuel Macron twice during his visit.

The French president is expected to attend a papal Mass on Saturday, which critics say violates strict separation of state and faith, known as laicite.