Officials: Munich at limits of capacity for refugees

MUNICH, Germany, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Police in Munich reported that more than 12,000 refugees reached the German city on Saturday, as it has become a major point of entry for asylum-seekers traveling from Syria through Hungary and Austria.

Authorities are considering using the Olympiahalle, the stadium used for the 1972 Olympics, as a temporary shelter for refugees after the large influx Saturday.

"We had a total of 12,200 refugees on Saturday," a police spokesman told The Guardian. "Today we're expecting several hundreds. Given the numbers from yesterday, it is very clear that we have reached the upper limit of our capacity. Our aim today would be to transport as many as possible out of here, to make place for new arrivals."

The refugees are taking trains through Europe to get to Germany. Once at the Munich train station, they are directed to a sectioned off area to undergo medical checks and are either taken to shelters around the city or given passage to other parts of the country.

By 10:30 a.m. Saturday, the city had already received 3,600 refugees -- the largest single-day number since the mass exodus from Syria started. The mayor of Munich, Dieter Rieter, said the city had "reached its limit" at a press conference Saturday, reported Deutche Welle.

More than 180,000 refugees have passed through Hungary this year, most on their way to Austria and eventually Germany. Germany expects to accept about 800,000 refugees this year, reported Voice of America.