Refugee shelter destroyed in suspected arson attack

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Police in Germany say a school gym intended as temporary housing for refugees has burned to the ground in Nauen, about 9 miles west of Berlin.

Firefighters in front of the Nauen gym intended as temporary housing for refugees that was burned to the ground on Tuesday
Firefighters in front of the Nauen gym intended as temporary housing for refugees that was burned to the ground on Tuesday

Brandenburg state police say they are working on the assumption that the fire was started deliberately. Nobody was injured.

Far-right protesters had repeatedly demonstrated against the arrival of asylum-seekers in Nauen this year.

Germany has seen a surge in refugees coming to the country this year, with officials predicting the number could reach 800,000 by the end of 2015.

While most Germans have been welcoming to the refugees, a minority has vocally opposed them. On Monday (August 24) Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned neo-Nazi riots outside a home for asylum seekers in Heidenau, south of Dresden, in which dozens of police and protesters were injured over the weekend. Mrs Merkel described the behaviour of the far-right activists as “abhorrent” and “shameful” and said she would be visiting the town on Wednesday.