UK's Secret Afghan Relocation Program Exposed After Data Breach

The British government initiated a clandestine relocation program for Afghan nationals following a significant data breach. This breach, caused by an accidental leak of personal information by a soldier, exposed over 33,000 individuals to potential threats from the Taliban. Newly released court documents have brought this secret operation to light.

The data breach occurred in early 2022 but was not discovered until August 2023, when some of the compromised information surfaced on Facebook. The leaked data included names and details of Afghans who had previously collaborated with British forces before the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.

A High Court judgment from May 2024, recently made public, indicates that the relocation of up to 20,000 individuals to Britain may be necessary. This undertaking is projected to incur costs of several billion pounds. As of May 2024, approximately 4,500 affected individuals were either in the UK or in transit, with costs already reaching around 400 million pounds. A Ministry of Defence review also revealed that over 16,000 people affected by the breach had already been relocated.

The legal and financial ramifications of the breach are anticipated to escalate, with pending lawsuits from those impacted. The incident was initially concealed under a superinjunction granted in 2023, with the previous government citing concerns for the safety of those affected. The injunction was subsequently lifted following a review by the new government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The data breach compromised the information of nearly 19,000 Afghans and their families who had applied for relocation under UK schemes. The Ministry of Defence has acknowledged the breach, attributing it to the accidental release of a dataset.

Despite the government's confirmation that Afghanistan remains a dangerous environment, a review found limited evidence of a systematic Taliban campaign targeting those whose information was leaked.