Berlin

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The German government announced that it has resumed flying convicted criminals of Afghan nationality to their home country on Friday (Aug 30), as it reversed a policy to hold off deportations to the South Asian country. 

The decision came as the government has been facing severe criticism for not taking a tougher stance on the issue of migration following a stabbing during the "Festival of Diversity" in Solingen last week that killed three people and injured eight others.

28 convicted criminals going back to Kabul

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Citing local media, a report by the news agency Reuters on Friday said that a Kabul-bound flight took off from Leipzig early morning with 28 convicted criminals of Afghan nationality onboard after months of secret negotiations with mediator Qatar.

Also read | Germany expels head of banned Muslim group; prepares stricter measures after Solingen knife attack

The government said that it thanked "key regional partners" for their support and added that more such deportations were being worked on.

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Germany had stopped returning people to Afghanistan because of human rights concerns after the Taliban took power in 2021. In June this year, the government said that it was considering deporting Afghan migrants who posed a security threat, following the police officer's killing in Mannheim.

The Solingen stabbing

The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the deadly attack in Solingen which was carried out by a 26-year-old Syrian man. The man arrived in Germany in December 2022. He had a protected immigration status often given to those fleeing war-torn Syria.

Also watch | German govt discusses harsher rules for asylum seekers

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The incident has heightened political wrangling over asylum and deportation rules. The backlash also comes a few days before elections in two eastern states where the anti-immigration AfD party is topping polls, putting further pressure on the ruling government to take a harder stance on the issue.

On Thursday, the government announced a package of tighter security and asylum measures. The package includes stricter gun regulations and ownership rules, a ban on switchblades and on carrying knives at public events such as folk festivals and sporting events.

The package is due to be voted on by the lower and upper houses of parliament. 

(With inputs from agencies)