Thousands of Afghans fleeing the Taliban were secretly relocated to the UK following a significant data breach.

The breach, which involved the accidental leaking of nearly 19,000 applicants’ personal information, was traced back to an unnamed British official at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in February 2022.

The leaked data included names, contact details, and family information of individuals potentially at risk from Taliban retaliation. The breach came to light publicly only after some details appeared on Facebook in August 2023. Subsequently, a covert resettlement scheme was established, and approximately 4,500 Afghans have been relocated to the UK so far.

The existence of the leak and the secret scheme remained under wraps due to a super-injunction obtained by the government, preventing disclosure of the matter. It was only after a High Court judge ruled to lift the gag order that details of the incident and the ongoing relocations became public knowledge.

The government confirmed that among those affected are around 600 Afghan soldiers and 1,800 of their family members still in Afghanistan. While the relocation scheme, officially titled the Afghan Relocation Route, is being phased out, the government pledged to honor existing offers to those still in Afghanistan.

The secret operation has cost approximately £400 million so far, with an additional £400 million to £450 million expected to be spent before its conclusion.

Official response and costs

Speaking in the House of Commons, Defence Secretary John Healey offered an “unreserved apology” to those affected by what he termed a “serious departmental error”. The breach occurred when a Ministry of Defence (MoD) employee mistakenly sent a spreadsheet outside official government channels.

Healey confirmed that the leak included details of senior Afghan military officials, UK government contacts, and Members of Parliament. While a police investigation was ruled unnecessary by the Metropolitan Police, the MoD has not disclosed whether any disciplinary action was taken against the official responsible.