An estimated 8,000 migrants had arrived in Germany as of early Sunday morning, according to Reuters. Officials had earlier told NBC News they had estimated 7,000 arrivals across the entire weekend.

The Christian Social Union, the socially-conservative wing of Merkel’s center-right bloc, has criticized the decision to open Germany’s borders to migrants and refugees stuck in Hungary, the DPA news agency reported.

However, the center-left Social Democrats — the third member of Merkel’s three-party coalition — urged swift humanitarian help for those trekking through Europe in search of a better life.

“No decent person can remain cold and dismissive in the face of such suffering,” said Thomas Oppermann, a senior Social Democrat.