International

The number of people seeking asylum in Germany this year will be as high as 1.5 million - almost double the previous estimate, German media report.

The German government has not confirmed the new estimate, which comes from an internal official report cited by popular daily Bild.

The report warns that services helping refugees will not be able to cope.

Separately a centre-right regional minister put the expected total at 1.2-1.5 million for this year.

The German government previously estimated the number of asylum claims this year to reach 800,000 to one million in total.

Many are refugees fleeing the wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, but there are also many economic migrants from the Balkans, Asia and Africa.

Anti-immigrant backlash

On Sunday several thousand Germans opposed to mass immigration demonstrated in two eastern towns - Plauen and Sebnitz - after a call to action by the anti-Islamic Pegida movement. Sebnitz lies near the Czech border.

The Pegida movement (Patriotic Europeans Against Islamisation of the West) has staged regular anti-immigration marches across Germany, rallying diverse crowds including far-right activists. Tens of thousands have marched in Dresden and other cities.