Germany condemns latest suspected arson attack on intended refugee shelter in the eastern town of Nauen, near Berlin. SHOWS: NAUEN, GERMANY (AUGUST 25, 2015) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS OF EMERGENCY SERVICES AT DAMAGED SPORTS HALL INTENDED TO HOUSE REFUGEES IN NEAR FUTURE AFTER OVERNIGHT FIRE 2. (SOUNDBITE) (German) STATE OF BRANDENBURG INTERIOR MINISTER, KARL-HEINZ SCHROETER, SAYING: “We can already say at this time that the type of fire and the condition of the hall point in the direction of arson.” 3. VARIOUS OF DAMAGED SPORTS HALL FRIEDLAND, GERMANY (AUGUST 25, 2015) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 4. GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER THOMAS DE MAIZIERE STEPPING IN FRONT OF MICROPHONES AFTER TOURING REFUGEE SHELTER 5. LINE OF REFUGEES, AMONG THEM CHILDREN 6. (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER, THOMAS DE MAIZIERE, SAYING: “We are outraged about the attacks which happened and are still happening, such as last night, on asylum seekers and asylum seekers’ homes. But those who are doing this are not a majority. They are not what characterises Germany.” 7. REFUGEES SEATED 8. (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER, THOMAS DE MAIZIERE, SAYING: “It is true that the willingness to help is on the increase but so is the level of aggression among a minority.” 9. REFUGEES 10. (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER, THOMAS DE MAIZIERE, SAYING: “I happily came here to Friedland to show that the attacks on asylum seekers’ homes — which are happening and which we do not want to belittle — will be met with harsh consequences for those carrying them out. They are not representative of the Germany we live in.” 11. REFUGEES STANDING AROUND 12. (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER, THOMAS DE MAIZIERE, SAYING: “When I was interior minister for the first time, a mere five years ago, we had 40,000 (refugees) per year. In July of this year, we had roughly 90,000. The prognosis I gave means a quadrupling compared to last year. This increase is especially the way it is since July and August. Such is the situation and we have to learn how to deal with it.” 13. PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PICTURES 14. DE MAIZIERE WALKING OFF STORY: Police were investigating a possible arson attack on a sports hall in eastern Germany on Tuesday (August 25) which was due to receive some 130 asylum seekers, according to German media. “We can already say at this time that the type of fire and the condition of the hall point in the direction of arson,” state interior minister of Brandenburg Karl-Heinz Schroeter said. at the site of the overnight fire in Nauen, near Berlin. No one was hurt but the sports hall was destroyed. The fire in Nauen follows violent protests against refugees at the weekend in the eastern state of Saxony which Chancellor Angela Merkel had described as “repulsive.” German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere condemned the latest incident, saying during a visit to a refugee shelter in the western town of Friedland. “We are outraged about the attacks which happened and are still happening, such as last night, on asylum seekers and asylum seekers’ homes. But those who are doing this are not a majority. They are not what characterises Germany,” he said. He also spoke of the sharp increase in the number of people asking for asylum in Germany. “When I was interior minister for the first time, a mere five years ago, we had 40,000 (refugees) per year. In July of this year, we had roughly 90,000. The prognosis I gave means a quadrupling compared to last year. This increase is especially the way it is since July and August. Such is the situation and we have to learn how to deal with it,” de Maiziere said. Germany is struggling to cope with an influx of asylum seekers this year - it expects about 800,000 this year, four times as many as last year. Open in New Window Download SD NTSC Share via Email Ask Reuters Print Date25/08/2015 11:40 Duration00:03:15 Edit No2072 Copyright(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp RestrictionsNONE