Germany said Thursday that it had expelled 27 Afghan men, despite fierce protests from opponents who say it is not safe to return them to war-torn Afghanistan. "This morning, 27 people were returned to Afghanistan," the interior ministry announced on Twitter.
They include 17 who have been convicted of crimes, two who are deemed "dangerous individuals" and eight who have "stubbornly refused to give their real identities," it said. The men left Germany late Wednesday from Frankfurt airport, where around 600 people had gathered to demonstrate against the expulsions.
Despite the criticism, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere vowed to press on with sending back "dangerous individuals, criminals and those who refuse to give their real identities". After more than a million asylum seekers arrived in Germany since 2015, Chancellor Angela Merkel's government came under pressure to halt the influx.