Here is how it happened, who knew, and what it means for those left behind.
The spreadsheet included the details of 18,714 Afghan nationals who were applying for UK support, as well as the details of MPs, senior military officers, and government officials associated with specific claims.
The MoD only realised the blunder in August 2023 when details were posted on Facebook. It has not been revealed who was responsible for the leak.
Afghans on the list were left in danger for over a year
A small number are known to have been killed since the leak, though it is unclear if the deaths were linked to the breach.
It meant the UK was quietly relocating thousands of Afghans without public knowledge.
Relocations began in secret under a new scheme
A hidden programme to relocate those affected but ineligible for existing schemes was launched by the Conservative government in 2023, which was separated from the public Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap).
Defence Secretary John Healey informed MPs on Tuesday that the scheme, called the Afghan Response Route, will now be closed.
Those being relocated include individuals directly named in the breach and their dependants. However, many of the roughly 100,000 people potentially affected will not be offered refuge.
Healey says secrecy was unacceptable
Healey told MPs on Tuesday that he was “deeply concerned about the lack of transparency” and offered a “sincere apology”.
He said cancelling the scheme would prevent future spending of up to £1.2bn, adding that up to 9,500 additional relocations would no longer go ahead.
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That includes support for all Afghan schemes, legal action, and any undisclosed spending on the super-injunction. The official estimate is currently £6bn.
An official review downplayed the danger
A government-commissioned review by retired official Paul Rimmer earlier this year said it was “unlikely” that being on the list alone would lead to targeting. It also claimed that family members of those named were not at higher risk.
Lawyers say victims were kept in the dark
Barings Law, which represents around 1,000 of those affected, has said that the government’s attempts to block reporting showed “a clear desire to hide the truth”.
It argued that the delay in informing those at risk may have cost lives. Victims were only officially told about the breach on Tuesday.
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