A fire has destroyed a shelter for Ukrainian refugees in Germany’s northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Pomerania. Police said on October 20 that they are investigating the case as arson.
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The 14 residents who lived in the shelter in the village of Gross Stroemkendorf along with three employees were rescued unharmed when the former hotel burned down on the night of October 19.
"As things stand, arson is suspected and a political motivation is assumed," the police said in a statement.
“This is terrible news. People who found shelter with us from [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war had to be rescued from the flames,” German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said.
“If arson is confirmed, it is an inhumane crime that will be prosecuted with all severity," she said.
A police unit in the nearby city of Rostock that looks into politically motivated offenses took over the investigation of the blaze from local police, who had already started looking into arson as the cause.
A swastika that was discovered on October 17 at the entrance area of the shelter was also being investigated. It was unclear whether the graffiti was connected to the fire, police said.
More than 1 million refugees from Ukraine, most of them women and children, have arrived in Germany since Russia invaded Ukraine almost eight months ago.
They initially were welcomed with warmth, and many German families opened their homes to shelter them.
More recently, a vocal minority has expressed hostility toward them and other foreigners arriving in the country.