Alleged arson attack destroys temporary asylum shelter in Germany

NAUEN, Germany, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- An alleged arson attack is suspected to have burned down a gym planned to be used as a shelter for refugees in Germany on Tuesday.

Brandenburg state police believe the fire was deliberately started, deeming claims of a technical fault unlikely.

The gym, slated to hold about 130 refugees next month, is located in Nauen, approximately nine miles west of Berlin. No injuries were reported, and no suspects have yet been identified.

State President Dietmar Woidke heavily criticized the attack, saying there will be zero tolerance for "any form of xenophobia" and that the act was "shameful."

The country is the European Union's largest recipient of asylum applications, with as many as 800,000 migrants slated to arrive by the end of 2015 in a migration that Germany's Interior Minister, Thomas de Maiziere, calls "the largest influx" in the history of post-war Germany.

Several far-right and extremist groups have demonstrated against the new arrivals various times in Nauen. German Chancellor Angela Merkel echoed Woidke's criticisms regarding violence in nearby Heidenau, adding that she would visit the location on Wednesday.

Security had to be increased at a newly-opened refugee center in Heidenau amid several days of protests, including a Saturday morning demonstration where hundreds of individuals pelted police with bottles and stones, injuring 31 officers.