Berlin: The German border authorities have recorded 27,491 Ukrainian refugees entering the country and say the figure is certainly an underestimate of the true number. And the Berlin authorities report that up to 20,000 have arrived in the capital.

“As there are no border controls, the number of war refugees who have already arrived could be considerably higher,” the federal police responsible for patrolling the country’s borders say.

Berlin Senator for Social Affairs Katja Kipping puts the figure arriving in the capital on Friday at more than 11,000 and says she expects up to 10,000 more on Saturday.

As existing state shelters hit their limits, Berlin authorities are making use of hotels and churches to accommodate the arrivals.

Ordinary Berliners are also showing up at the city’s main railway station to offer accommodations in their homes.