Syrians hail the German Chancellor as their mother.

"She's like a mother to us; she's helped so many migrants," a Syrian man said joyfully about German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

When Chancellor Merkel visited a migrant center in Berlin on September 10, crowds of Syrians cheered and vied to take selfies with her, according to AFP.

Ramadan Salah, 35, one of the lucky few who made the trip to Germany, said everyone was thrilled that Merkel was visiting. "Getting my picture taken with Merkel was a dream come true," he said.

Refugees scramble to take selfies with Chancellor Merkel. Photo: AFP

During a visit to a school for migrant children, the German Chancellor expressed confidence that the country could handle the situation in the face of the largest wave of immigration in history.

"If thousands of people come to Berlin every day, that's a huge challenge. But I get the impression that there's an extraordinary motivation, a great enthusiasm to tackle this challenge. We want to create a better future for them," she said.

To date, around 450,000 migrants have arrived in Germany, including 37,000 in the first week of this month, according to German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel. Amidst the massive influx of migrants from Syria, Iraq, and other regions, Germany estimates it will receive 800,000 migrants this year, four times the number received in 2014 and more than any other EU country combined.

With thousands arriving each day, migrants are housed in old school buildings, office buildings, and even military camps, with an estimated 14,500 people in 14 camps.

Approximately 5,000 other people are sheltering at a former US base in Giessen, Hesse. More than a thousand people are in large tents, about 70-80 people per tent. Here, many children still play while their parents feel life is relatively stable.

"We are happy to be here, please don't send us back to Afghanistan," said a 30-year-old man.

Stefan Gruettner, the social affairs officer for the canton of Hesse, shared that the biggest challenge facing the government is ensuring shelter for refugees as autumn approaches and temperatures are expected to drop.

According to VNE