"These are men and women like us, brothers seeking a better life," the leader of the world's Roman Catholics said in his weekly address, urging leaders to "act decisively and quickly to stop these tragedies from recurring."
Urging the faithful in St Peter's square to pray for the victims, the pope added: "(They are) hungry, persecuted, injured, exploited, victims of war. They are seeking a better life, they are seeking happiness."
Francis has repeatedly highlighted the plight of migrants seeking to reach Europe clandestinely at the risk of their lives, famously railing against the "globalisation of indifference" following shipwreck tragedies off the Italian island of Lampedusa in October 2013.
"It is evident that the proportions of the phenomenon demand much greater involvement," he said then. "We must not tire in our attempts to solicit a more extensive response at the European and international level.