Ukrainian refugees: Can Berlin cope with the influx?

It's the same for thousands more Ukrainians. Every day, some 15,000 arrive in Berlin. For almost all of those who travel via Poland, Berlin is their first stop in Germany. Here at the German capital's central train station and at the main bus station in the west of the city, is where all the buses and trains from the border arrive.

It's proving to be a serious challenge for the city. Berlin's mayor, Franziska Giffey, believes the city-state is nearing its limits, as to what it can do for the refugees. Some of the Ukrainians are now being accommodated in halls usually used for trade fairs, she said. That just shows "we are at the limits of our capacities."

Berlin's authorities have asked that responsibility for the incoming refugees be better shared among other German states too. They have even asked for help from the German army. A lot of Germans are also volunteering to help deal with the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe here.