Germany announced that it had resumed on Friday the repatriation of refugees convicted of crimes who hold Afghan nationality to their country, after Berlin backed down from the policy of postponing deportation to the Taliban-ruled country.

The coalition government has come under pressure to take a tougher stance on immigration after a deadly knife attack last week claimed by Islamic State, and the stabbing death of a German policeman by an Afghan man in June.

Spiegel magazine reported that a flight bound for Kabul took off from Leipzig early on Friday morning with 28 convicts on board after holding secret talks with Qatar, which has been acting as a mediator for months.