UK Secretly Relocated Thousands of Afghans Following Data Leak 

The United Kingdom secretly relocated thousands of Afghans who worked with British military forces deployed in Afghanistan after the UK government accidentally leaked their identities three years ago, putting them at risk of attack from the Taliban following their return to power, Reuters reported.  

The leak, the subject of a scandal currently gripping the UK, occurred in early 2022 after a Ministry of Defense employee accidentally sent an email to an individual outside of the government containing a spreadsheet with details of Afghans who worked for the British government and had applied to relocate to the UK ahead of the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. 

The previous UK administration, led by conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson, set up the secret relocation scheme – estimated to cost the government about $2.7 billion – due to concerns that the individuals whose identities had been leaked could be targeted by the Taliban, who regained control of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of Western forces. 

After the initial leak in 2022, the private data was published on Facebook the following year. Both the leak and the secret relocation scheme were subject to a so-called super-injunction, meaning that the media was forbidden from reporting on it. 

A court lifted the super-injunction on Tuesday. 

According to the government, about 4,500 Afghans and their families have been relocated – or were about to be – under the secret scheme. 

This incident is considered one of the worst security breaches in modern British history due to the costs and the danger it posed to thousands of Afghans. 

Those affected by the leak have sued the government.