Germany's opposition Green and Left parties on Thursday urged Chancellor Friedrich Merz to apologize for a controversial remark about migration and Germany's cities.

The opposition parties accused him of fueling division with remarks they say were racially insensitive and "unworthy of a chancellor."

Merz made the remark during his official visit to Brandenburg, after being asked in the state capital Potsdam about the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

During an appearance in Potsdam earlier this week, the conservative politician had said his government was correcting past migration policy mistakes and reducing numbers by 60% year-on-year.

He added: "But we still have this problem in the cityscape, and that is why the interior minister is working to carry out large-scale deportations."

Speaking in the Bundestag, Green parliamentary leader Katharina Dröge challenged Merz after he described migration as a "problem" in the cityscape.

Speaking in parliament after Merz had delivered a major speech on foreign policy ahead of a European Council meeting next week in Brussels, Dröge questioned what Merz had meant.

"What exactly did you mean by that -- how are you supposed to see this "problem" other than by the color of people's skin? How do you want to recognize this 'problem'? This statement is absolutely hurtful, discriminatory, and indecent. I would have expected you, Mr. Merz, to stand here today and have the courage to apologize for this sentence -- that you have offended so many people in this country. That divides our society and, in the end, harms Germany. Take this sentence back -- apologize."

Green Party co-leader Felix Banaszak told the DPA news agency that the comment "sends a disastrous signal." He called the remark disrespectful, dangerous, and "unworthy of a chancellor," adding that Merz was questioning whether people with migration backgrounds truly belonged in Germany. He urged him to apologize.

Socialist Left Party leader Sören Pellmann joined the demand for an apology in parliament. "The obvious slip in your wording was not only misplaced -- it has driven another thorn into our democracy," he said.

Government spokesman Stefan Kornelius later sought to calm the dispute, saying people were "reading too much into" Merz's words. He said the chancellor had spoken as the Christian Democrat (CDU) party leader, not in his official capacity as head of government. Kornelius said Merz had repeatedly stressed that migration policy must not be exclusionary but based on orderly immigration rules.

The passage containing the controversial sentence from the press conference was subsequently not published in the minutes of the Federal Press Office's press conference.

Kornelius stated that such publications were subject to the principle of neutrality. Since Merz had "clearly identified himself as party leader" in his response, it was not published as "standard practice." Merz had introduced his response to the reporter's question with the sentence: "Now I have to briefly say something party-political."

Merz has been under pressure over his migration stance since taking office, after pledging a tougher line on irregular arrivals and faster deportations. His remarks have sometimes drawn criticism from opposition parties and migrant organizations, who accuse him of using language that stigmatizes minorities.

However, some conservatives within his CDU have urged him not to soften his message amid rising support for the far-right.

Merz criticized for cityscape 'problem' remark on migration