7,000 Afghans Being Relocated To UK Due To 'Massive' Data Breach. Here's What Happened
In a massive blunder, the personal data of 20,000 Afghan nationals seeking to apply for relocation to the UK was leaked by the British Army, prompting them to form a secret scheme.
Nearly 7,000 Afghan nationals will be relocated to the United Kingdom after a massive data breach by the British military exposed the personal information of close to 20,000 individuals, endangering them and their families.
The British Army is believed to have caused a massive blunder, which is estimated at around £7 billion ($9.1 billion), according to local media reports. Details of the blunder will be known publicly after a judge lifted a super injunction sought by the government.
So far, 4,500 Afghans have arrived in the UK, and a further 600 people and their immediate families are yet to arrive, the BBC reported. The existence of the leak and scheme was kept secret after the government obtained a super injunction.
The government revealed on Tuesday that the secret scheme – called the Afghan Relocation Route – had cost £400 million ($520 million) and is expected to cost a further £400-450 million. The scheme is being closed down, but relocation offers already made will be offered.
What Happened?
After the Taliban returned to power in 2021 following the collapse of the Western-backed Afghan government, the new establishment regards anyone who worked with British or other foreign forces during the previous two decades as a traitor. The UK government set up a programme to rapidly process applications to move Afghans to the UK, although it came under heavy criticism.
In February 2022, a British defence official mistakenly released the details of thousands of Afghan nationals. The Ministry learned of the breach in August 2023 and created a new resettlement scheme after nine months.
A source told Sky News that a small number of people on the list are known to have been killed, although it was not clear if this was a direct result of the data breach. It is also not confirmed whether the Taliban has the list, but the Ministry of Defence had lost control of the information.
What Did UK Govt Say?
Speaking in the House of Commons, Defence Secretary John Healey offered a 'sincere apology" to those whose details had been included in the leak. He said the leak was a result of a spreadsheet being emailed 'outside of authorised government systems", which was a 'serious departmental error".
However, Healey told MPs an independent review had found it was 'highly unlikely" an individual would have been targeted solely because of it, and that the review judged the secret scheme to be an 'extremely significant intervention" given the 'potentially limited" risk posed by the leak.
However, the data leak evoked serious concerns over the lives of the concerned Afghan nationals. 'This is an incredibly serious data breach, which the Ministry of Defence has repeatedly tried to hide from the British public," said Adnan Malik, head of data protection at Barings Law, a firm representing around 1,000 of the victims.
'It involved the loss of personal and identifying information about Afghan nationals who have helped British forces to defeat terrorism and support security and stability in the region. A total of around 20,000 individuals have been affected, putting them and their loved ones at serious risk of violence from opponents and armed groups."
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First Published:
July 15, 2025, 18:19 IST
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