Berlin is turning a former airport into a temporary refugee shelter with 3,600 beds, as it struggles to put up more Ukrainians fleeing Russia's attacks on their country's vital infrastructure, as well as the winter weather.
While two former terminals of Tegel Airport were already opened for Ukrainian refugees in the spring, Berlin's state government is now racing to fix two big tents on the tarmac with heaters for the winter, and has opened a third terminal for the registration of new arrivals and also put up 900 new beds.
Germany has taken in one million refugees from Ukraine since Russia attacked the eastern European country almost nine months ago.
In addition, more asylum seekers than in previous years are coming to Germany from countries such as Syria, Moldova or Afghanistan.
Elsewhere in Europe, the number of people applying for international protection has also reached highs not seen since well over one million people sought refuge on the continent seven years ago.
Last week, the head of the German association of cities warned that many cities around the country were no longer able to provide decent housing for refugees.
At Tegel airport, some 1,500 Ukrainian refugees have currently found a temporary home - the majority of them mothers with their children - as the German capital's regular refugee homes with almost 28,000 beds are full.
On Wednesday, some new arrivals were sitting on beer banks in the vast arrival hall, slurping vegetable soup, while others crouched together on old metal seats near the walls, charging their phones on multiple sockets.
Berlin has welcomed more than 100,000 Ukrainians so far and while many have found private accommodation with relatives or Germans who have opened their homes to them, some 3,000 currently rely on the city for accommodation.
AP
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