Deputy head of Germany's police trade union, Jörg Radek, told the country's Die Welt newspaper that police "have reached their absolute breaking point".

"Our officials are increasingly being called to confrontations in refugee homes," Radek said. "When there are 4,000 people in a home which only actually has places for 750, this confinement then leads to aggression where even a tiny thing like the corridor to the toilet can lead to violence."

Separating refugees on religious grounds "makes perfect sense," Radek added. "We must do everything we can to prevent further outbreaks of violence." ...