Secret Resettlement of 4,500 Afghans in UK Following Major Data Breach

In a surprising admission, the UK government disclosed that it had resettled 4,500 Afghans following an accidental exposure of sensitive data impacting over 18,000 individuals—a matter previously shrouded in secrecy.

In a recent statement, the British government confirmed that it had secretly resettled 4,500 Afghans in the UK following a significant data exposure incident that occurred in 2022. The defense ministry reported that the personal details of around 18,000 Afghans, who had worked alongside British forces before the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, were unintentionally revealed. This admission comes amid growing sensitivities surrounding immigration in British politics.

The large-scale data breach was initially kept under wraps due to a legal injunction obtained by the former Conservative government, which aimed to prevent any media reporting on the subject. Super injunctions prevent the dissemination of sensitive information and have faced criticism from press freedom advocates.

During a parliamentary session, Defense Secretary John Healey addressed the issue, confirming that the sensitive data had been inadvertently transmitted in an email outside of official government channels. The breach remained largely undiscovered until August 2023, when details of nine individuals surfaced on social media, raising alarm over the potential risks these individuals faced from the Taliban.

In response to the breach, the government initiated the Afghan Response Route, a secret resettlement program costing approximately $537 million. As part of the initiative, the UK welcomed 4,500 Afghan citizens, with an additional 600 individuals and their families still due to arrive.

However, Healey concluded the relocation program and announced the publication of a report assessing the risks posed to Afghan nationals. The report suggested that there was insufficient evidence indicating that the Taliban were actively pursuing reprisal actions against those named in the leaked data.