Chancellor Angela Merkel on her visit to the troubled asylum, urged Germans to take a stand against "shameful" anti-migrant protests,

It should be recalled thatGermany has seen a sharp rise in attacks on asylum centres, as it deals with record numbers of arrivals. The asylum which the Chancellor visited was the epicenter of clashes at the weekend.

Far-right protesters booed and shouted "traitor" as she arrived at the newly-opened centre in Heidenau near Dresden.

Earlier, police in Hungary fired tear gas at migrants at a reception camp. They tried to disperse crowds amid unrest at the centre in Roszke, on the Serbian border. Hungary has said it is considering the use of troops to secure the border.

As she left the centre in Heidenau, Mrs Merkel said Germany was facing a "gigantic challenge" with thousands of migrants arriving hoping for a better life.

Germany expects up to 800,000 asylum applications in 2015 - more than any other EU country.

There could be "no tolerance" of hatred, she said, condemning violent protests in Heidenau as "shameful" and "vile". The centre houses about 600 asylum seekers.

On a separate visit to an asylum centre in Berlin, President Joachim Gauck paid tribute to volunteers who had shown a "bright Germany full of light", rather than the "dark Germany" that arose from attacks on asylum seekers.

Dozens of police were hurt at the weekend when neo-Nazis and other right-wing extremists hurled bottles and fireworks.

During Mrs Merkel's visit on Wednesday, protesters outside the centre chanted "for the German people" - referring to the sign on the front of the Reichstag - and "We are the mob", mocking remarks used by Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel when he visited Heidenau.

Motorists also hooted their car horns as they drove past - something that right-wing groups had called for on social media.