German police have been forced to establish a security zone round a refugee shelter in the town of Heidenau following two nights of clashes.with right wing protesters.<br /><br /> The violence in which at least 30 officers have been hurt has been condemned by politicians as xenophobic. <br /><br /> The police used pepper spray on right-wing demonstrators who were trying to stop asylum seekers reaching their accommodation.<br /><br /> Recently there has been a spate of arson attacks on refugee shelters across the country.<br /><br /> Germany is struggling to cope with a surge in the number of asylum seekers with cities finding it difficult to provide shelter and money to care for the influx.<br /><br /> But reflecting public disquiet Germany’s Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière has called for clearer rules on who can or cannot claim asylum.<br /><br /> “We need a European list of so called safe countries of origin. For instance every country which applies to be a member of the European Union should automatically be considered a safe country,a
