Berlin, Aug 30 (IANS): Germany on Friday deported Afghan nationals back to Afghanistan for the first time since August 2021.

According to government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit, the deported individuals are all Afghan nationals convicted of crimes in Germany and have no right to remain in the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

The German government has undertaken extensive efforts in recent months to resume such deportations, the spokesperson said, stressing the priority of national security.

This move follows discussions on tightening deportation rules after an Afghan national killed a police officer and injured several others in a knife attack at a political rally in Mannheim three months ago.

Last week, a 26-year-old man killed three people with a knife in the western German city of Solingen. According to German newspaper Bild, the suspect is Syrian and came to Germany in 2022.

In response to the incident, Minister of the Interior and Community Nancy Faeser on Thursday announced that the country would implement measures to combat terrorism and tighten knife control to enhance public security.