Chinese tourist ends up living in a German refugee home for 12 days after trying to report his lost wallet to police and being mistaken for an asylum seeker

Chinese tourist, 31, had to spend 12 days in a refugee home in Germany

The backpacker tried to inform police he had lost his wallet in Stuttgart

He couldn't speak German and unwittingly signed an application for asylum

By Abe Hawken For Mailonline

Published: 14:51 EST, 8 August 2016 | Updated: 01:18 EST, 9 August 2016

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A 31-year-old Chinese tourist was forced to spend 12 days in a refugee home after he was mistaken for an asylum seeker when he reported his lost wallet to police. 

The backpacker, who didn't speak a word of German or English, attempted to inform officers that he had misplaced his wallet in Stuttgart, south west Germany. 

But he ended up at a different municipal office which then handed him an application for asylum. 

The tourist, who was not identified, unwittingly signed the request and was swiftly placed in a shelter 260 miles north in Dortmund.

A poster aimed at refugees which read 'Welcome to Germany' was placed on a wall in Dortmund, Germany

His passport was taken from him after he got tangled up in the red tape of Germany's migrant influx by mistake.   

C hristoph Schluetermann, of the German Red Cross, told news agency DPA: 'Machinery kicked into gear from which he couldn't immediately escape.'

Public broadcaster WDR said the man complied with standard procedure for refugees including allowing his fingerprints to be taken, undergoing a medical examination and accepting pocket money.

But staff eventually noticed that the man was unusually well-dressed for an asylum seeker and when the likelihood of a mistake dawned on them, sought help at a local Chinese restaurant.

The owners suggested Schluetermann try using a Mandarin smartphone translation app and it soon became clear that the man didn't want asylum but to continue his European tour.

Workers had to containers at a construction site for a refugee centre to house asylum seekers in Germany (stock photo) 

WDR reported that one of the translated messages read: 'I want to go walking in a foreign country.'

Twelve days into his stay, the man was able to set off for France and Italy.

Germany let in nearly 1.1 million migrants and refugees last year, posing an enormous challenge for its overstretched bureaucracy.

Source: Chinese tourist ends up living in a German refugee home for 12 days after trying to report his lost wallet to police and being mistaken for an asylum seeker