German Politician Welcomes Refugees Into His Home

A German conservative MP, Martin Patzelt, has taken two Eritrean refugees into his home and is helping the young men find jobs locally.

Mr Patzelt, of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), lives near Frankfurt/Oder, in eastern Germany. The Eritreans have been staying with him for a month.

Such initiatives help to "get rid of the polarisation and hostility" towards migrants, he told German ARD TV.

Many Eritreans have fled to Europe.

The country in the Horn of Africa has an authoritarian government which forces citizens into military service - often for many years and in deplorable conditions.

Generally Eritreans and Syrians are granted refugee status when they reach Germany, allowing them to stay there.

But Germany is gripped by an intense debate over migrants, as the numbers have soared this year - largely because of the boatloads crossing the Mediterranean. That is putting local authorities under pressure, and costing more public money.