Friedrich Merz says "not to allow illegal migrants" as EU should apply return directive

After thousands of migrants crossed from Morocco into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta, European officials responded with concern about border security. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz endorsed Spain’s position of keeping migrants off the European mainland, urging the European Union’s return directive to be applied without delay. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the influx as an attack on Spain’s territorial integrity, while EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed swift returns to Morocco. More than 25,000 people had reportedly gone back voluntarily, but the scale of arrivals threatened to overwhelm asylum processing. The episode raised questions about whether migrants could later reach mainland Europe or the UK.