The UK says thousands of Afghans have been brought to Britain under a secret resettlement program
The British government disclosed the existence of the resettlement program on Tuesday.
A dataset containing the personal information of nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to come to Britain after the Taliban takeover of their country was released in error in 2022, and extracts were later published online.
That prompted the then-Conservative government to set up a secret program to resettle the Afghans. The government obtained a strict court order known as a superinjunction that barred anyone from revealing its existence.
The injunction was lifted on Tuesday, and Britain's current Labour Party government said it was making the program public. It said an independent review had found little evidence that the leaked data would expose Afghans to greater risk of retribution from the Taliban.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


San Francisco Chronicle
4 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Yemen fighters allied to exiled government claim seizure of tons of Iranian-supplied Houthi weapons
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Fighters allied to Yemen's exiled government claimed Wednesday they had seized 750 tons of Iranian-supplied missiles and weaponry bound for the country's Houthi rebels, the latest interdiction of arms in the country's decadelong war allegedly tied to Tehran. For years, the U.S. Navy and other Western naval forces have seized Iranian arms being sent to the Houthis, who have held Yemen's capital since 2014 and have been attacking ships in the Red Sea over the Israel-Hamas war. The seizure announced Wednesday, however, marked the first major interdiction conducted by the National Resistance Force, a group of fighters allied to Tariq Saleh, a nephew of Yemen's late strongman leader Ali Abdullah Saleh. The Houthis and Iran did not immediately acknowledge the seizure, which the National Resistance Force said happened in late June. A short video package released by the force appeared to show anti-ship missiles, the same kinds used in the Houthis' recent attacks that sank two ships in the Red Sea, killing at least four people as others remain missing. The footage also appeared to show Iranian-made Type 358 anti-aircraft missiles. The Houthis claim they downed 26 U.S. MQ-9 drones over the past decade of the Yemen war, likely with those missiles. The majority of those losses having been acknowledged by the U.S. military. The footage also appeared to show drone components, warheads and other weapons. The force said it would release a detailed statement in the coming hours. Iran denies arming the rebels, though Tehran-manufactured weaponry has been found on the battlefield and in sea shipments heading to Yemen for the Shiite Houthi rebels despite a United Nations arms embargo. The Houthis seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in September 2014 and forced the internationally recognized government into exile. A Saudi-led coalition armed with U.S. weaponry and intelligence entered the war on the side of Yemen's exiled government in March 2015. Years of inconclusive fighting has pushed the Arab world's poorest nation to the brink of famine. The war has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more.


Hamilton Spectator
4 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Yemen fighters allied to exiled government claim seizure of tons of Iranian-supplied Houthi weapons
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Fighters allied to Yemen's exiled government claimed Wednesday they had seized 750 tons of Iranian-supplied missiles and weaponry bound for the country's Houthi rebels, the latest interdiction of arms in the country's decadelong war allegedly tied to Tehran. For years, the U.S. Navy and other Western naval forces have seized Iranian arms being sent to the Houthis, who have held Yemen's capital since 2014 and have been attacking ships in the Red Sea over the Israel-Hamas war . The seizure announced Wednesday, however, marked the first major interdiction conducted by the National Resistance Force, a group of fighters allied to Tariq Saleh, a nephew of Yemen's late strongman leader Ali Abdullah Saleh. The Houthis and Iran did not immediately acknowledge the seizure, which the National Resistance Force said happened in late June. A short video package released by the force appeared to show anti-ship missiles, the same kinds used in the Houthis' recent attacks that sank two ships in the Red Sea, killing at least four people as others remain missing. The footage also appeared to show Iranian-made Type 358 anti-aircraft missiles. The Houthis claim they downed 26 U.S. MQ-9 drones over the past decade of the Yemen war, likely with those missiles. The majority of those losses having been acknowledged by the U.S. military. The footage also appeared to show drone components, warheads and other weapons. The force said it would release a detailed statement in the coming hours. Iran denies arming the rebels, though Tehran-manufactured weaponry has been found on the battlefield and in sea shipments heading to Yemen for the Shiite Houthi rebels despite a United Nations arms embargo. The Houthis seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in September 2014 and forced the internationally recognized government into exile. A Saudi-led coalition armed with U.S. weaponry and intelligence entered the war on the side of Yemen's exiled government in March 2015. Years of inconclusive fighting has pushed the Arab world's poorest nation to the brink of famine. The war has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .

Business Insider
5 minutes ago
- Business Insider
France faces colonial-era accusations as Equatorial Guinea challenges asset seizure
Tensions between France and Equatorial Guinea have intensified as the Central African nation accuses Paris of breaching international law and undermining its sovereignty. Equatorial Guinea criticizes France over seized assets linked to claims of corruption. The seizure involves luxury assets of Vice President Teodoro Obiang Mangue, accused of embezzlement. Equatorial Guinea challenges France's actions as violating sovereignty and files a petition with the ICJ. The controversy surrounds allegations that France is unfairly holding onto assets seized from the nation's Vice President, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, based on corruption charges. Equatorial Guinea claims the assets rightfully belong to the state and should be returned, and it has filed an urgent petition at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing France of violating its sovereignty, as reported by Radio France Internationale The disputed residence, which features a private cinema, a hammam, and marble fittings with gold taps, was confiscated under French legislation targeting wealth illicitly acquired by foreign leaders. ' France's approach can be described as paternalistic and even neo-colonial, ' said Carmelo Nvono-Ncá, Equatorial Guinea's ambassador to France. ' We cannot accept such disregard for our sovereignty... we simply cannot accept it,' he added. The backstory The dispute centers on a long-running corruption case in which French courts found Obiang guilty of embezzling public funds to acquire luxury properties. Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, Vice President of Equatorial Guinea and son of the country's long-time president, received a three-year suspended prison sentence and a €30 million fine in 2017. French authorities also seized several assets, including a €100 million mansion near the Arc de Triomphe. After the sentencing and asset confiscation, the British government also sanctioned Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue. Then–Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab accused him of engaging in ' corrupt contracting arrangements and soliciting bribes, to fund a lavish lifestyle inconsistent with his official salary as a government minister.' Equatorial Guinea later claimed the mansion was part of its diplomatic mission, accusing France of violating the Vienna Convention. But the court sided with France, ruling the property served no diplomatic purpose and belonged to Obiang personally. In a fresh filing to the ICJ, Equatorial Guinea alleges French police recently re-entered the building and changed its locks. The country is demanding ' immediate, full and unrestricted access ' to the site. Under new French legislation, seized assets are to be sold, with proceeds intended to be returned to Equatorial Guinea rather than absorbed by the French state. However, the Equatorial Guinean government has expressed skepticism, accusing France of harboring ulterior motives regarding how the funds will be used after the sale. ' France still does not seem to understand that we Africans will no longer tolerate interference in our domestic affairs, ' said Carmelo Nvono-Ncá, Equatorial Guinea's legal representative. ' It is now evident that France intends to sell the property and to unilaterally determine how the proceeds will be used.' In response, Diego Colas, legal adviser to France's foreign ministry, argued the case is ' clearly without merit. ' Speaking further, he said any potential sale was 'a long way off' and that the authorities' recent visit to the property was merely a 'fact-finding mission ' to assess its condition.