Almost 24,000 Afghan nationals are being relocated to the UK after a data breach exposed thousands to possible Taliban reprisal, with the error kept secret under a super-injunction for nearly a year.
Here is how it happened, who knew, and what it means for those left behind.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed that it lost control of a document in February 2022 that contained 33,000 records.
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.
It is believed the data was mistakenly shared by email, potentially exposing their identities to hostile groups like the Taliban.
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
The Taliban considers those who aided foreign forces to be traitors. Reports suggest that around 10 to 15 per cent of people on the list would have qualified for UK protection following the group’s return to power in 2021.
A small number are known to have been killed since the leak, though it is unclear if the deaths were linked to the breach.
A super-injunction was imposed in September 2023, stopping the media from reporting the incident. The legal order also prevented confirmation that such an injunction even existed.
It meant the UK was quietly relocating thousands of Afghans without public knowledge.
The injunction was only lifted this week following a lengthy legal battle led by several media organisations. It is believed that this is the first time that a government has used such an injunction.
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).
Some 6,900 Afghans – 1,500 people named on the list plus their families – are being brought to the UK under this plan, in addition to others under earlier policies.
Defence Secretary John Healey informed MPs on Tuesday that the scheme, called the Afghan Response Route, will now be closed.
In total, 18,500 people have already arrived, according to The Times, with another 5,400 expected in the coming weeks.
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.
Around 900 Afghans already in the UK or en route will be allowed to stay, along with a further 1,800 people who have received confirmed invitations.
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 no government wants to withhold information from the press or parliament “in this manner”, but did not name those responsible for the breach or cover-up.
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.
Relocation costs linked to the breach alone will reach £850m, the MoD said. Internal government documents, seen by The Times, suggest that total costs could reach £7bn.
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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.
A Cabinet Office memo, submitted as part of court documents, warned that continuing the scheme would add strain to the UK’s asylum and immigration system.
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.
The Government used this argument in court to justify lifting the injunction.
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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