Campaigners have reacted angrily to the Home Office's high-profile deportation of an Afghan family - saying that they have been used to present a tough stance on immigration to the media.

This family were learning English and fitting in. The community had very much taken them to their hearts. It did not despise them as asylum seekers

Inayat Bunglawala, Muslim Council of Britain

The government has confirmed that the Ahmadi family - Farid, Feriba and their two children - have been flown to Germany because that is where they made their first application for asylum.

Last month, Muslim groups attacked the government after police broke into a West Midlands mosque to arrest Mr and Mrs Ahmadi.

The authorities were criticised a second time when their children were taken into detention in the run-up to the deportation.

Soraya Walton, a friend of the family who had made a number of last-minute attempts to prevent deportation, said that she was very angry.

"I saw them for 15 minutes last night and the kids were asking why they couldn't go home," she told the BBC. "What can you say to that?"

Elane Heffernan: "Spin exercise"

Mrs Walton said that the government had completely failed to examine the details of the Ahmadi's case - or the efforts the family had made to become part of British society.

"They were in Germany for 10 months and didn't learn a word of the language," she said.

"The children have been here less than a year and they were already speaking English with a Dudley accent."

Soraya Walton: Listen to the full interview

Elane Hefferman of the Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers attacked the decision to deport the family, saying that campaigners were still considering a fresh legal challenge to have them returned to the UK.

Campaigners: Last legal moves failed

"This is legalised child abuse," said Ms Hefferman.

"That is what it is called when you take children from a place of safety and place them in terror.

"The whole thing is basically a publicity stunt for the Government in an attempt to convince the British people that they are in control of asylum."

"Farid, Feriba and the children are the victims of that because they have become a symbol for the Government. They are guinea pigs for this whole spin exercise."

Muslim anger

The case has raised concerns among British Muslim groups. Some of the fiercest criticisms came from the Muslim Council of Britain which met with Immigration Minister Beverley Hughes over the issue.

Mosque raid: Widely condemned

Inayat Bunglawala, spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, said that the government had acted against a family who had proved themselves to be "model asylum seekers".

"This family made great efforts after arriving in Britain last year," he said. "They were learning English, they were fitting in with the community where they were living.

"The community had very much taken them to their hearts. This community did not despise them as asylum seekers, it wanted them to stay. We very much regret that the Home Office did not show compassion in this particular case."

Mr Bunglawala said that the MCB had won assurances from the Home Office that immigration officials would speak to the organisation before any similar actions involving mosques in the future.

"I think that Beverley Hughes regretted the way that this mosque had been broken into by the police," he said.

"We sought assurances that in the future the authorities would seek to find a civil way out. What we saw happen with the Ahmadi family was totally unnecessary."

John Stewart of the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns (NCADC) said that while the Ahmadi family had been deported, questions still needed to be asked of how the Home Office had dealt with their initial seizure.

"This was a very aggressive approach," said Mr Stewart.

"I have been involved in sanctuary cases before. The longest running case went on for three years in east London and there was no attempt to force entry to the church involved."

'High-profile case'

Keith Best, chief executive of the Immigration Advisory Service, said the Home Office has demonstrated "great insensitivity".

"It seems that the Home Office have decided that this family should be a high-profile case, which I regret because there are human beings involved here," said Mr Best.

"I accept that when a person has exhausted all legal remedies and has no lawful right to stay in this country they should leave.

"But most people are happy to go voluntarily."

Mr Best said that that government needed to develop a carrot rather than stick approach to persuade people to leave.