The British authorities has secretly resettled 1000’s of Afghans in the UK for concern they could be focused by the Taliban after their private particulars have been leaked, Defence Secretary John Healey revealed on Tuesday.
Particulars concerning the unintended knowledge breach by a British soldier and the key relocation programme for Afghans have been made public after a uncommon court docket order often called a “superinjuction”, which barred the media from even disclosing its existence, was lifted on Tuesday.
Here’s what we learn about what occurred and the way the federal government responded:
Whose knowledge was leaked and the way did it occur?
A spreadsheet containing the private info of about 18,700 Afghans and their family – a complete of about 33,000 individuals – was by chance forwarded to the mistaken recipients by e mail in February 2022, Healey informed lawmakers within the Home of Commons.
These have been individuals who had utilized for relocation to the UK between August 2021 and January 7, 2022. That was the six-month interval following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan after the US and allied forces withdrew from the nation. Most had labored as translators, assistants or in different capacities for the British army in Afghanistan.
They’d utilized for the UK’s Afghan Relocations and Help Coverage (ARAP) scheme, which, like its predecessor, the Ex-Gratia Scheme (EGS), had been arrange for Afghans who had labored for the British forces.
The EGS was initially established in 2013 following a protracted marketing campaign by activists and media in assist of people that had assisted the British army in Afghanistan and who have been thought-about prone to face reprisals from the Taliban.
The British soldier on the centre of the leak, who had been tasked with verifying functions for relocation, is known to have mistakenly believed the database contained the names of 150 candidates, when it really contained private info linked to some 18,714 individuals.
The soldier was underneath the command of Normal Sir Gwyn Jenkins, who was director of particular forces on the time and now heads the British Navy. His identify had additionally been suppressed by the court docket order till this week.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) grew to become conscious of the leak when another person posted components of the information on Fb on August 14, 2023. The Fb submit was first noticed by an activist who was helping Afghans who had labored with UK forces.
The activist contacted the MoD, saying: “The Taliban could now have a 33,000-long kill listing – primarily offered to them by the British authorities. If any of those households are murdered, the federal government shall be liable,” The Guardian newspaper reported.
How did the federal government reply to the leak?
The MoD informed Fb to take down the submit with the leaked info, citing safety threats from the Taliban. It additionally warned some 1,800 ARAP candidates who had fled to Pakistan that they or their households may very well be in peril.
The UK authorities, led by former Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, then sought a court docket order barring any media disclosure of the information breach.
On September 1, 2023, a Excessive Court docket decide in London issued a “superinjunction”, which not solely prohibits the disclosure of any particulars but in addition forbids revealing that the order exists in any respect. That superinjunction was lifted on Tuesday following a marketing campaign led by The Instances newspaper in London.
In April 2024, the federal government created the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR) to assist Afghans who weren’t eligible for ARAP however have been thought-about at excessive danger of reprisals from the Taliban on account of the information leak.
This scheme, which was saved secret, has now been closed, Healey informed the Home of Commons. Nonetheless, he added that a whole lot of invites have been issued to Afghans and their households underneath the scheme and these invites “shall be honoured”.
The federal government additionally launched the key Operation Rubific to evacuate these Afghans deemed to be in danger on to the UK.

What number of Afghans have been relocated to the UK underneath the key scheme?
As a direct results of the leak, the federal government says 900 individuals and about 3,000 family have already been flown to the UK underneath the key relocation scheme and put up in motels or army bases. In complete, about 24,000 Afghans affected by the breach have both been delivered to the UK already or shall be within the close to future, in accordance with UK media reviews.
By way of broader resettlement schemes, 35,245 Afghans have thus far been relocated to the UK, official knowledge suggests.
Why is that this info being disclosed now?
The court docket order barring the main points concerning the leak from being disclosed was lifted at midday (11:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
Following a number of non-public hearings, a Excessive Court docket decide dominated in Could that the injunction needs to be lifted, citing, amongst different causes, the shortcoming of the general public or parliament to scrutinise the federal government’s choices.
British information outlet The Instances reported it had spearheaded the two-year authorized battle which resulted within the injunction being lifted.
That call was, nonetheless, overturned by the Court docket of Enchantment in July 2024, as a result of issues concerning the potential dangers to people whose info had been leaked.
Then got here the “Rimmer overview”.
Healey, a member of present Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ruling Labour social gathering, stated he was briefed concerning the leak when it occurred as he was serving as shadow defence secretary on the time. Nonetheless, he added that different cupboard members have been solely knowledgeable concerning the leak when Starmer’s social gathering was elected to energy within the common election of July 2024.
“As Parliamentarians – and as Authorities Ministers – it has been deeply uncomfortable to be constrained in reporting to this Home. And I’m grateful right now to have the ability to disclose the main points to Parliament,” Healey stated on Tuesday.
Healey stated that in the beginning of this yr, he commissioned former senior civil servant and former Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence Paul Rimmer to conduct an impartial overview.
Quoting the “Rimmer overview” in Parliament on Tuesday, Healey stated that 4 years for the reason that Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan, “there’s little proof of intent by the Taleban [sic] to conduct a marketing campaign of retribution in opposition to former officers.”
He added that the data the Taliban inherited from the previous Afghan authorities would have already allowed them to focus on people if they’d wished. Subsequently, Rimmer concluded it was “extremely unlikely” that somebody’s info being on the leaked spreadsheet can be a key piece of data enabling or prompting the Taliban to take motion.
“Nonetheless, Rimmer is obvious – he stresses the uncertainty in any judgements … and he doesn’t rule out any danger,” Healey stated.
How secure are the individuals named within the leak now?
The Instances reported that after the superinjunction had been lifted, a brand new non permanent court docket order was issued, barring the media from publishing particular delicate particulars about what precisely was within the database.
The Instances stated the federal government cited causes of confidentiality and nationwide safety, arguing that the leaked listing nonetheless poses a risk to the protection of the Afghans.
In a webpage revealed on Tuesday, the MoD states: “At current, there isn’t any proof to counsel that the spreadsheet has been seen or utilized by others who would possibly search to use the data; nonetheless, the UK Authorities can not rule out that risk.”
It now advises those that utilized for the ARAP or EGS programmes earlier than January 7, 2022, to train warning, keep away from cellphone calls or messages from unknown numbers, restrict their social media profiles and use a Digital Non-public Community (VPN) the place attainable.
UK-based media shops have reported {that a} legislation agency is suing the MoD on behalf of at the very least 1,000 Afghans affected by the information leak.
How a lot has the leak price the UK authorities?
Healey stated on Tuesday that it had already price 400 million kilos ($540m) to convey an preliminary 900 Afghans and their 3,600 members of the family to the UK underneath the ARR.
Nonetheless, this doesn’t account for the expenditures by different authorities schemes to relocate Afghans to the UK. Healey estimated that the overall price of relocating Afghans to the UK was between 5.5 billion and 6 billion kilos ($7.4bn to $8bn).
Totally different figures for a way a lot the leak price the UK have emerged. An unnamed authorities official informed Reuters that the leak price the UK about 2 billion kilos ($2.7bn). Different shops have reported that ARR is anticipated to price the UK authorities a complete of 850 million kilos ($1.1bn).