‘Deeply embarrassing': Afghan veterans hit by second UK data breach
Some of the victims may have had their information hacked for a second time, following the ministry's high-profile Afghan data breach discovered in 2023, which was the subject of a superinjunction — preventing it from being publicly disclosed — until last month.
The 2023 breach exposed the identities of thousands of Afghans who had served alongside British forces as part of the multinational decade-long conflict against the Taliban. Many of them reported receiving threats after the leaked database was apparently discovered by Afghanistan's Taliban rulers.
Following the latest incident, an alert was sent to about 3,700 affected people on Friday, The Times reported. They were told that their personal information had been breached, including name, date of birth and passport number.
The data was included in a record of information relating to evacuation flights from Afghanistan to England's Stansted Airport between January and March 2024.
Inflite, a third-party subcontractor hired by the ministry, held the data. The firm suffered a ransomware attack thought to have been carried out by criminal gangs.
More than 100 British personnel were victims of the breach. The rest of those affected are Afghans.
The ministry said in its alert: 'There is a risk that some of your or your family's personal information may be affected. This may include passport details (including name, data of birth, and passport number) and Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy reference numbers.'
Those alerted were requested to 'please remain vigilant and be alert to unexpected communication or unusual activity.'
So far, there is no evidence that any of the information has been released publicly or on the dark web, ministry sources told The Times.
The latest leak adds to growing embarrassment over the UK's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, which was completed in 2021.
Sir Mark Lyall Grant, former UK national security adviser, told the BBC's 'Newsnight' program that both breaches were 'deeply embarrassing' for the government.
Verification as part of the relocation process is necessary, but the British government must 'honor the commitment they made,' Grant added.
'We do need to move faster to protect people who genuinely are at risk of being victimized and persecuted by the Taliban if they go back,' he said.
It was revealed that the government's multi-year superinjunction on the previous Afghan data breach cost taxpayers more than $3 million.
An emergency government scheme that was hidden from the public in response to the breach may have cost more than $9 billion, as part of efforts to bring at-risk Afghans to Britain.
Adnan Malik of Barings Law, which is representing 1,400 Afghans affected by the previous data leak, said: 'This is public money they used to cover their own backs. Barings Law will continue to pursue justice for all of those affected, and stop the deceit on behalf of the Ministry of Defense.'
A former interpreter who suffered war injuries in Afghanistan and now campaigns for his Afghan ex-colleagues told The Times that he was 'truly worried' about how the ministry has mishandled the personal data of Afghan allies.
'Once again, they have failed to protect those who stood shoulder to shoulder with them in the fight against terrorism,' said Rafi Hottak. 'How can it be that we've now had three separate data leaks involving one of the most vulnerable group of people?'
A spokesperson for Inflite said: 'While we cannot comment on specific details of the data security incident or any communications related to it due to the sensitivity of the matter, we remain fully committed to protecting our systems, data, and the interests of all our stakeholders.'
A government spokesperson said: 'We were recently notified that a third-party subcontractor to a supplier experienced a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to a small number of its emails that contained basic personal information.
'We take data security extremely seriously and are going above and beyond our legal duties in informing all potentially affected individuals.
'The incident has not posed any threat to individuals' safety, nor compromised any government systems.'
-ENDS-
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
41 minutes ago
- Arab News
'Pickypockets!' vigilante pairs with social media on London streets
LONDON: On a recent weekday, Diego Galdino was on the hunt for pickpockets in central London, patrolling tourist hotspots for familiar suspects and telltale signs of those about to commit thefts. Galdino, however, is not a policeman. The Brazilian food app delivery rider has become a popular, social media-fueled vigilante targeting pickpocketing in the British capital. He started filming — and then trying to disrupt — thieves in action after witnessing several incidents. And his videos on Instagram, TikTok and other platforms under the handle 'pickpocketlondon' have proved a hit. One posted late July on TikTok amassed nearly 27 million views — another on Instagram showing a suspect spitting at him garnered more than 12 million. 'I didn't know nothing about TikTok, I didn't know nothing about uploading a video,' Galdino told AFP. 'I catch them stealing, I catch a lot of situations and I upload daily and grow very quickly,' he said. Similar accounts have emerged in other European cities including Venice and Paris, as the era of mass tourism, social media and side hustles collides with crime and vigilantism. Galdino said he was 'completely surprised' by the response. 'My life's changed a lot,' he added. Now, he said, he was inundated with media interview requests and got recognized by supporters and suspects alike. Galdino, from a family of police officers in Brazil, said he has become expert at identifying likely thieves. They appear well organized, are often women and work in pairs. They mainly target tourists, dressing like them to blend in, he said. Standing outside Buckingham Palace, the 32-year-old said he could change his 'perception' while patrolling to create a kind of tunnel vision. A network of around 20 other delivery riders helps out, sending tip-offs via WhatsApp when suspects are spotted. Once on the scene, Galdino swoops in filming with an attached camera, shouting a signature 'pickypockets' warning to sound the alert. 'Watch out, pickypockets!' he yells. His presence is not always welcomed though, and Galdino said he had faced violence. But focus, adrenalin and a sense of 'injustice' at the thefts overrode any fear, he said. 'I hate this kind of thing,' Galdino added. 'These people get up in the morning ... (to) steal. They don't pay tax, they don't produce nothing to society.' On the streets, locals as well as visitors seemed to appreciate his efforts. 'Keep doing what you're doing!' said passerby Tom, 37, after recognizing Galdino. 'Hopefully tourists (who) come to London who maybe don't know about the phone-snatchers see your videos.' Sceptics however, have raised concerns about such vigilante content-creators, arguing they are ill-trained to intervene in potentially dangerous situations. 'We've got a kind of performative form of crime vigilantism for clicks,' criminologist Jennifer Fleetwood told AFP. 'I'm sure the guy is very well-meaning, but honestly this is not an effective form of crime control,' she added. 'He's not going to be out there for the next 10 years, is he?' said Fleetwood, a university lecturer in criminology who wrote the book 'What We Talk About When We Talk About Crime.' London's leaders insist they are tackling pickpocketing. Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan boosted police numbers in the center to curb theft, robbery and antisocial behavior. 'We'll be targeting hotspot areas with both plain-clothed and uniformed patrols, building on the progress we've already made,' the Metropolitan Police said. Their statement did not comment directly on Galdino, but it did note a 15.6 percent reduction in 'theft from the person' in the six weeks since their boost began April 6. However, force's statistics show it recorded more than 32,000 'thefts from the person' in the year to July in central Westminster. That is up on the previous 12 months and a considerable increase on the year from July 2022. Fleetwood argued the social media fixation on pickpocketing risked exaggerating the problem. Statistics show such thefts are no more prevalent in the capital than other English cities and regions, she said. 'I've seen so much stuff on social media about London being unfriendly or London being dangerous. 'But ... is it the case that you're more likely to be a victim of personal crime in London? Actually, no.'
Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
As security tightens, migrants take more risks to reach EU
LONDON: The number of people arriving illegally in Europe has fallen in 2025, but experts warn that irregular migration will persist as conflict and economic hardship intensify and migrants forge new pathways to avoid tougher security measures. Arrivals fell by 20 percent in the first six months of the year, continuing 2024's downward trend, according to the EU's border agency Frontex, which credited the drop to increased cooperation with transit countries. Since 1 million people entered Europe irregularly during the so-called migrant crisis in 2015, the EU has taken an increasingly tough stance on illicit arrivals. However, experts say migrants are adapting to stricter EU measures at borders and becoming more reliant on smugglers and newer, often more dangerous routes. While overall numbers are down, arrivals have not decreased across every route to Europe, and new corridors have emerged as migrants and smugglers adapt. 'As one route declines, others usually surge or re-emerge,' said Jennifer Vallentine, an expert at the Mixed Migration Center, a research organization. Irregular crossings dropped to 240,000 in 2024 after surpassing 300,000 in 2022 and 2023 for the first time since 2016. Amid the downward trend, a new Mediterranean Sea corridor between Libya and Greece has emerged, with more than 7,000 people arriving in Crete this year. The Greek government has proposed a new law to criminalize illegal entry and impose a temporary ban on asylum applications. 'Harsh restrictions won't stop the need and desire to migrate, and with irregular migration the only option for some, smuggler services will stay in demand,' said Vallentine. The main irregular entry points across the Mediterranean and over the Greek-Turkish land border have remained consistent over the last decade. But activity on specific routes has fluctuated as people try to avoid increasing surveillance and border controls, according to experts. The EU has sought to shutter access at key entry points, said Helena Hahn, an expert at the European Policy Center think tank. The bloc has struck deals with Libya, Tunisia and Egypt, key departure points for crossing the Mediterranean, bolstering the countries' border forces with speed boats and surveillance and offering cash in exchange for preventing illegal migration. 'Cooperation with North African countries has certainly played a role in reducing arrivals,' said Hahn. Arrivals across the Central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Italy and Malta decreased by 58 percent from 2023 to 2024, which the International Organization for Migration attributed to more boats being stopped at sea and migrants returned to Libya and Algeria. But the organization also said the EU-North Africa partnerships contribute to increased activity on the Atlantic Ocean route from West Africa to the Canary Islands. The Central Mediterranean route emerged as the sea's busiest after the EU struck a deal with Turkiye in 2016, paying Ankara €6 billion ($6.95 billion) to care for Syrians who had fled their country's civil war. Turkiye also agreed to 'take any necessary measures' to block new illegal routes into the EU. Over the last decade, Europe has spent billions on surveillance systems and detection equipment and has posted Frontex staff at its external and internal borders. The Western Balkan Route that connects arrivals in Greece with Western Europe via an arduous journey through the Balkan states has been a target of these efforts and last year, Frontex reported detections of irregular crossings on the route had dropped by 78 percent from 2023. But the IRC only recorded a 16 percent drop over the same time period, which the organization said suggests people are traveling more covertly to avoid detection. 'There's a lot of deterrence, but it just makes people take more dangerous routes,' said Martha Roussou, a senior advocacy adviser at the International Rescue Committee, a global humanitarian charity. Migrants are paying smugglers higher fees and traveling more quickly by night, stopping less often to seek help, according to the IRC. The EU is set to triple its spending on borders in the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework to €81 billion. '(Europe's) reactive approach fails to acknowledge migration as both inevitable and beneficial,' said Vallentine. 'Until regular and accessible pathways are established, we will continue to see irregular migration — and smuggling networks will continue to adapt to facilitate it.'
Arab News
9 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan army says not interested in mass evacuations for Balochistan operations
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's army is not interested in evacuating entire areas in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan to launch operations against militants, the top military spokesman said Saturday, insisting the region will always remain part of the country. Balochistan, Pakistan's largest but most impoverished province, has been the site of a long-running insurgency that has intensified in recent months, with separatist militants attacking security forces, government functionaries and non-local residents. Intelligence-based operations have been launched in response, though outfits such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its Majeed Brigade faction have carried out increasingly coordinated strikes, including a passenger train hostage-taking earlier this year and an attack on a school bus that killed and injured several children. 'We are not interested in evacuating an entire area, sending in troops, clearing all the localities and then declaring that peace has been restored because you cannot station the army permanently,' Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said while addressing students in a military internship program in Rawalpindi. The ISPR shared portions of his remarks in a video released on its Facebook page. 'Once the army leaves, the terrorists would return,' he added. 'That is why we need to work in a very intelligent manner. We need to work with the population, with the local administration, and we need to identify the terrorists, their sympathizers and their facilitators. That is what we are doing.' Chaudhry emphasized that the military has no interest in falsely accusing or targeting innocent civilians. 'However, if someone facilitates terrorism, if someone keeps explosives in their house or gives shelter to terrorists, then they will have to face the consequences,' he continued. The military spokesperson also underlined that Balochistan would 'always remain part of Pakistan,' noting the province's ethnic and demographic diversity and its connections with other parts of the country. The comments came as violence in the mineral-rich province has intensified in recent months. Earlier this week, the United States designated the BLA and the Majeed Brigade as 'foreign terrorist organizations.' Separatist groups accuse Islamabad of exploiting Balochistan's resources to fund development elsewhere, while the federal government denies the charge, saying it is working to uplift local communities.
