Safe From Harm? German Refugee Centers Rocked by Religious Clashes

A number of Christian asylum seekers have been subjected to attacks and abuse from their Muslim fellow-sufferers in German refugee centers.

According to police reports, on Friday a violent clash, involving about 200 Syrian and Afghan refugees, erupted at a migrant shelter in the German city of Leipzig. Migrants used table legs and bed frames as weapons.

On Sunday, two similar cases were registered at the temporary refugee center in Kassel-Calden, northern Germany, resulting in almost 14 people injured. The police reported that the first outbreak of violence occurred at the canteen between two groups of migrants, while the second incident happened on the same day when 70 migrants attacked the other 300.

"We must do everything to prevent further outbreaks of violence", Deputy Head of Germany's police union Jörg Radek told Die Welt.

According to the German police chief, Christian and Muslim asylum seekers should be housed separately in order to prevent further violence.

Radek stressed that the burden the police have to shoulder has increased tremendously due to the current crisis. Police officials are busy with settling conflicts in refugee centers.

The root cause of the growing violence lies in the overcrowding of refugee centers. Conflicts are almost inevitable if the buildings which were designed for 750 people are crammed with up to 4,000, Radek elaborated.

Separate housing for Muslims and Christians may decrease tensions, according to the police chief.

Currently the only German federal state that provides different religious groups with separate shelters is Thuringia. Bavaria's authorities have also adopted a "conflict-sensitive" approach while housing refugees in temporary accommodation. 

On the whole Germany is expected to accept about 800,000 asylum seekers by the end of 2015. However, experts say that the figure may exceed one million.