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UK secretly resettled thousands of Afghans after major data leak raised safety fears

UK secretly resettled thousands of Afghans after major data leak raised safety fears

Yahoo20-07-2025
Thousands of Afghans have been secretly relocated to the UK after a data leak by the British military revealed their identities and raised fears that they could be targeted by the Taliban.
A dataset containing the details of nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to move to the UK after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan was released in error in 2022, and parts of it were later published online, British Defence Secretary John Healey said on Tuesday.
That prompted the previous Conservative government to establish a secret programme to resettle the Afghans — many of whom worked with British forces — and their families.
The Afghanistan Response Route, set up in April 2024, was made public on Tuesday after the UK's current Labour government lifted a legal ruling known as a superinjunction that had been obtained by the former government in order to keep the scheme secret.
About 4,500 people — 900 applicants and approximately 3,600 family members — have been brought to the UK under the programme, and about 6,900 people are expected to be relocated by the time it closes, at a total cost of £850 million (€979 million).
However, the ultimate cost of the incident is expected to be higher as the British government is also facing litigation from people affected by the breach.
Healey offered a "sincere apology" for the data breach in a statement to lawmakers in the House of Commons on Tuesday afternoon, and said that he had felt "deeply concerned about the lack of transparency" around the breach.
"No government wishes to withhold information from the British public, from parliamentarians or the press in this manner," he said.
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'Incredibly serious data breach'
The blunder by an unnamed official at the Ministry of Defence (MOD) was a "serious departmental error" and a result of a spreadsheet being emailed "outside of authorised government systems" in early 2022, according to Healey.
The spreadsheet contained the details of 18,714 Afghan nationals who had been trying to apply to a British government scheme to support those who helped or worked with UK forces in Afghanistan that were fighting the Taliban between 2001 and 2021.
The MoD only became aware of the breach in August 2023, after the excerpts of the database posted on Facebook, according to British media reports.
Barings Law, a law firm that is representing hundreds of the victims, accused the government of trying to conceal the truth from the public.
"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 the firm.
"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."
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Australian whistleblower David McBride loses appeal over Afghan war crimes leak
About 36,000 Afghans in total have been relocated to the UK under various resettlement routes since the fall of Kabul in August 2021, according to the ministry of defence.
In the summer of 2021, the US decided to lead a withdrawal of western forces — including British troops — from Afghanistan, which allowed the Taliban to seize power.
That left tens of thousands of people who had helped the UK and other nations during 20 years of western military presence in the nation at risk of retribution from the Taliban.
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UK makes strong war pledge to Australia, Virgin Australia plane in tarmac collision, state cops 'wettest day of year'
UK makes strong war pledge to Australia, Virgin Australia plane in tarmac collision, state cops 'wettest day of year'

Yahoo

time10 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

UK makes strong war pledge to Australia, Virgin Australia plane in tarmac collision, state cops 'wettest day of year'

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US and China to talk in Stockholm on trade with eye on Trump-Xi summit later this year
US and China to talk in Stockholm on trade with eye on Trump-Xi summit later this year

Yahoo

time10 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

US and China to talk in Stockholm on trade with eye on Trump-Xi summit later this year

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Serious concerns raised over how Welsh Government bought £4.25m farm
Serious concerns raised over how Welsh Government bought £4.25m farm

Yahoo

time42 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Serious concerns raised over how Welsh Government bought £4.25m farm

Serious concerns have been raised about how the Welsh Government bought a piece of land which has dropped in value by half a million pounds. The government bought Gilestone Farm in Powys in 2022 as part of a deal with Green Man Festival for it to be a base for its operations. However, in 2023 protected species - a pair of ospreys - were seen on the land. A 750-metre restriction zone around their nest was set up to protect the birds, who have since returned and laid an egg, with an admission made that 'the presence of the ospreys on the site inevitably brings some uncertainty." The land was purchased in 2022 for £4.25m, and earlier this year the Welsh Government confirmed that its valuation had dropped to £3.75m. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here. READ MORE: I abandoned my life in London for Wales. I thought I was living the dream but was totally burnt-out READ MORE: Welsh pub can't find a new landlord so it's being turned into flats A 2023 Audit Wales review looking at the farm purchase found ministers acted with "avoidable haste" as an underspend fuelled a rush to make a decision on the £4.25m purchase before the financial year's end. Now, the Senedd's Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee has published a report which claims the purchase of Gilestone Farm was 'rushed due to end-of-year budget pressures'. The report, published on Monday, July 28, says lessons must be learned from the purchase and that there is a need for 'urgent improvements and better governance for acquisition practices'. Significant failings have been identified with regards to the handling of the acquisition, raising broader concerns about governance, due diligence, and community engagement. 'The committee is deeply concerned by the Welsh Government's handling of the purchase of Gilestone Farm,' said Mark Isherwood MS, the committee's chair. 'While we recognise the importance of acting swiftly to support the creative sector, this decision was taken with avoidable haste and without the thorough due diligence that the public rightly expects. It raises serious questions about internal processes and the robustness of governance structures. 'Furthermore, the Welsh Government must do more to ensure that communities are not only consulted but genuinely listened to. Engagement must be meaningful, inclusive, and consistent. 'The significant loss in the value of the property is particularly notable in the current financial climate, and we expect the Welsh Government to clarify its future intentions for the site and to set out how it will mitigate the financial loss to the public purse. 'To ensure lessons are learned, the committee will want to carry out further work looking at the Welsh Government's approach to property investments, to assess whether current processes are sufficiently rigorous and fit for purpose.' The Welsh Government was asked to comment by WalesOnline on the issues raised above. It said it will respond fully after reading the committee's report. A spokeswoman said: 'Gilestone Farm was acquired in 2022, following proper processes and in keeping with market values at the time, in order to support the growth of the creative sector in Wales and a stronger mid Wales economy. 'We were delighted to learn in August 2023 of the arrival of the pair of mating ospreys, which returned in 2024, and again this year. Their first egg hatched in early June 2025. This is believed to be a first for the Usk Valley in at least 250 years and marks an important milestone in the protection of this important species. 'The arrival of the ospreys necessarily impacted on the planned use of the farm, and the original project had to be stopped. Gilestone remains one of the Welsh Government's property assets, and is being managed on our behalf as a working farm. We continue to explore potential opportunities for its future use, in keeping with our commitment to seek a sustainable outcome that helps local communities thrive. 'We will read the Committee's report with interest, and respond in due course.'

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