greenockgran posters have been quoting 'main stream media' throughout this thread. Here's another piece of information from the BBC -
Two men, aged 16 and 23 and apparently of North African origin, arrested on Thursday in connection with the sex attacks, we're released without charge.
Cologne police say they are currently investigating 21 people in connection with the sexual assaults. It is not known how many of these are asylum seekers.
The federal police (responsible for the station itself, but not the area nearby) said earlier today that of the 31 suspects whose names are known, 18 have asylum seeker status.
The suspects include nine Algerians, eight Moroccans, four Syrians, five Iranians, two Germans and one each from Iraq, Serbia and the US.