By Stefanie Dazio, The Associated Press on August 30, 2024.
BERLIN (AP) – Germany deported Afghan nationals on Friday for the first time since 2021. A government spokesman described the Afghan nationals as convicted criminals but did not immediately respond to a request for comment to clarify their offenses. The deportations occurred a week after a deadly knife attack in Solingen where the suspect is a Syrian citizen who had applied for asylum in Germany. The suspect was supposed to be deported to Bulgaria last year but reportedly disappeared for a time and avoided deportation. He was ordered held Sunday on suspicion of murder and membership in a terrorist organization pending further investigation and a possible indictment. 5