Germany deported 28 Afghan nationals to their homeland on Friday for the first time since August 2021, when the Taliban returned to power.

Government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit identified the 28 Afghan nationals as convicted criminals but did not disclose their specific offenses.

“The security interests of Germany clearly outweigh the claim for protection of criminals and individuals endangering national security,” Hebestreit stated.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking near Leipzig during a local election campaign event Friday, called it “a clear sign that those who commit crimes cannot count on us not deporting them, but that we will look for ways to do so.”

German news agency dpa reported, citing information from the federal states involved in the deportations, that the offenses included rape, serious arson and manslaughter.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser emphasized the security implications of the move for Germany.

“You have seen that we have enforced the law and deported criminals back to Afghanistan,” she stated during a news conference Friday afternoon. “In my view, this is necessary to maintain trust in the rule of law.”

However, Julia Duchrow, secretary general of Amnesty International , criticized the deportations. In a statement Friday, she asserted that the government yielded to political pressure during an election campaign. She added that Afghanistan is not safe and alleged that the deportations violate international law.

Berlin lacks diplomatic relations with the Taliban, necessitating the government to operate through alternative channels. Friday’s actions are unlikely to significantly improve relations between Germany and the Taliban, especially following last week’s implementation of the first set of laws aimed at preventing vice and promoting virtue in Afghanistan. These laws include a requirement for women to conceal their face, body and voice outside the home.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has condemned the morality laws in posts on X.

While Hebestreit indicated that the deportations had been planned for months, they occurred a week after a deadly knife attack in the town of Solingen involving a Syrian citizen who had applied for asylum in Germany.

The suspect was scheduled for deportation to Bulgaria last year but reportedly disappeared for a period and evaded deportation. He was apprehended Sunday on suspicion of murder and membership of a terrorist organization pending further investigation and a potential indictment.

The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for last week’s attack, without providing supporting evidence. The extremist group stated on its news site that the attacker targeted Christians and that he carried out the assaults “to avenge Muslims in Palestine and everywhere.” The claim could not be independently verified.

Immigration has also been a subject of debate ahead of regional elections Sunday in the German states of Saxony and Thuringia, where anti-immigration parties like the populist Alternative for Germany are expected to perform well. In June, Scholz pledged that the country would resume deporting criminals from Afghanistan and Syria following a knife attack by an Afghan immigrant that resulted in the death of one police officer and injuries to four other individuals.

Faeser on Thursday announced a plan to tighten knife laws, according to German news agency dpa. Alongside other officials in the governing coalition, she also committed during a news conference to simplifying deportations.