Inquiry into Afghan data leak to be conducted by Parliament's security watchdog
Lord Beamish, chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament (ISC), said the cross-party group would launch a probe after considering defence assessment documents related to the case.
The peer has previously voiced concern over 'serious constitutional issues' raised by the handling of the breach that saw the details of 18,714 applicants for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme released in 2022.
The leak prompted an unprecedented superinjunction amid fears the Taliban could target would-be refugees for reprisals, meaning the ISC, which routinely reviews sensitive material, was not briefed.
It also saw the establishment of a secret scheme, the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR), to bring some of those affected to the UK at a projected final cost of about £850 million.
In a statement on Monday, Lord Beamish said the committee 'has agreed that, once it has considered the requested material, it will conduct an inquiry into the intelligence community's role and activity in connection with the loss of data relating to Arap applicants in February 2022'.
The ISC, which is made up of MPs and members of the House of Lords, had asked for the release of defence assessments that formed the basis of the superinjunction, as well as other material relating to the Arap scheme.
It hard argued that under the Justice and Security Act 2013, classification of material is not grounds on which information can be withheld from the committee, given its purpose is to scrutinise the work of the UK intelligence community.
Thousands of Afghans included on the list of people trying to flee the Taliban are unlikely to receive compensation after their details were accidentally leaked.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the Government would 'robustly defend' any legal action or bid for compensation, adding these were 'hypothetical claims'.
It has also been reported that the MoD will not proactively offer compensation to those affected.
In total, the Government expects 6,900 people to be brought to the UK under the ARR scheme, which was introduced under the previous Tory administration after a defence official leaked the data 'in error' in February 2022.
Along with the Afghan nationals, the breach saw details of more than 100 British officials compromised, including special forces and MI6 personnel.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
12 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Vandalising Wes Streeting's office is not protest, it is violent criminal intimidation
It is a sight that is becoming more common as social justice warriors abandon old-fashioned ideas of legal protest: a prominent MP turns up for work at his constituency office only to find the windows smashed and offensive graffiti painted across the front of the building. The clean-up costs will be met by the tax-payer but the fear and intimidation that the attack was intended to generate will be felt most keenly by vulnerable staff members working in Wes Streeting's Ilford North headquarters, and even by the health secretary's constituents. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by Trans Bash Back, a 'trans-led direct action project'. Sharing an image of the front of the office shortly after it had been vandalised, they wrote on social media: 'Don't want action? Don't kill kids.' That sinister threat was even echoed by a Scottish Green candidate standing at next year's Holyrood elections. Iris Duane took to Twitter in the aftermath of the attack to write: 'If you don't want 'child killer' sprayed onto your office, have you considered not killing children?' The accusation of infanticide comes from Streeting's acceptance of the recommendations of the extensive and authoritative Cass review of health care for adolescents questioning their gender identity, which led to a ban on new patients under 18 being prescribed puberty blockers. It's natural that people who feel strongly about this issue or the other two topics in the holy trinity of social justice causes – Palestine and climate change – should want to vent their fury at politicians who disagree with them. But the modern era has spawned a new type of activist who sees flagrant breaches of the law, including criminal damage, as an entirely legitimate form of protest. This seems to be based on a belief that their cause is special, even uniquely virtuous, and that because the injustice felt by the protesters when they don't get their own way is felt so intensely, the range of 'remedies' open to them is broadened beyond the limits of the law. Even when protesters are prosecuted and jailed, there is outrage from these same groups who seem to believe that violence, provided it is perpetrated for the 'right' cause, must be exempt from all consequences. Even our national broadcaster is partly culpable for encouraging, by its inaction, such dangerous exceptionalism. The attack on Streeting's office is but the latest incident by activists taking out their frustrations and sense of entitlement on the constituency bases of MPs who refuse to vote the way they demand. In November 2023, pro-Palestinian activists daubed Labour MP Jo Stevens's Cardiff office with red paint after she abstained on a parliamentary vote on Gaza. A year earlier former Tory MP Peter Bone's constituency office in Wellingborough was similarly vandalised, apparently in protest at recent sleaze allegations against his party. And earlier this year, the Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley, was forced to abandon her constituency office after it was targeted three times in as many weeks. These are all egregious attacks on our democratic process and democratic norms. And each of them was adequately covered on the BBC News website. But as of today, no word on the latest attack on Streeting's office has been reported by the BBC. Which is deeply odd, since the corporation even has a special designated section of its vast website devoted to trans issues, replete with preferred pronouns and tales of 'stunning and brave' gender transitions. And yet, when the darker side of trans activism is revealed in all its shoddy and unpleasant details, when public sector employees live in fear that the violence perpetrated on buildings will be targeted at them next, the BBC suddenly has nothing to say, and will not even report the facts. In an era where two MPs in the last decade have been murdered by violent extremists, the need to protect our elected representatives – and their staff – from all forms of violence and intimidation has never been more urgent. But such protection is not nearly enough. The media must be made to understand that for all the fears of a growth in the threat of the political 'far Right', fascism comes from both sides of the political spectrum, and so does the accompanying violence. Forcing others, by violence or intimidation, to parrot your own political opinions is a fundamental aspect of fascism. Those who cross the line separating legal from illegal protest demean the democratic process because they have demonstrated that they themselves believe it no longer has any value for them. Only by exposing every incident of vandalism, wanton damage, threatening behaviour or literal violence, whatever the motives of the perpetrators, can the foundations of civilisation be prevented from crumbling.
The Independent
41 minutes ago
- The Independent
Reeves acknowledges voter disappointment amid fresh call for wealth tax
Chancellor Rachel Reeves says that Labour must deliver change to earn victory in the next election, acknowledging that some voters are disappointed with the party's progress. She said she is also 'impatient for change' but stressed that ministers cannot implement everything at once, highlighting her responsibility for financial prudence. These remarks coincide with growing public concern over Sir Keir Starmer 's government, whose approval rating recently reached an all-time low. Ms Reeves defended the government's tax policy, saying it has found the right balance despite the challenge of addressing public finance deficits. The discussion follows former Labour shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds' call for a wealth tax, as recent polling indicates a significant perception of chaos within Sir Keir's administration.
Daily Mail
42 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Anger grows at 'cover-up' of two Afghan asylum seekers being charged over the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl - after police advised authorities not to reveal their background
Anger is growing over a 'cover-up' after two Afghan asylum seekers were charged with the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl, but police advised authorities not to reveal their background. Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, was charged with the rape of the underage girl in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. While a second man, Mohammad Kabir, also 23, was charged with aiding and abetting rape, as well as strangulation and kidnap of the girl, who is now receiving specialist care. Despite the huge interest the incident has caused in Nuneaton, sources told the Mail on Sunday that Warwickshire Police advised local councillors and officials not to reveal the asylum seeker background of the two suspects, for fear of 'inflaming community tensions'. Now Reform MP, Lee Anderson, has taken to social media to express his outrage at the handling of the situation branding it a 'cover-up'. Writing on X he said: 'Trying to cover up again.' His anger was matched by the leader of his party, Nigel Farage, who said last night: 'I am afraid, police and elected officials are acting against the British people.' It comes as the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Andy Cooke warned that there is 'every possibility' of a repeat of the 2024 summer riots amid deepening divisions in communities. Local councillor George Finch also waded in, saying: 'Yesterday, I wrote to urge the Home Secretary and the Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police to disclose the immigration statuses of the two men charged in connection with the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton on 22nd July.' Despite this, Warwickshire Police has defended its position, saying in a statement: 'Where relevant, sensitive information around locations, details of the crime and policing activity to catch offenders can be shared, with a warning that this is sensitive or confidential information and disclosure by those being briefed could affect future court hearings.' One local who contacted the Mail also accused the police of a 'cover-up', in an effort to suppress information which the public have a right to know. Mulakhil, who crossed the Channel on a small boat, allegedly raped the victim in the Cheverel Street of Nuneaton, between 8.30 – 9.45pm on Tuesday, July 22. The MoS has obtained CCTV footage from a resident's house near Cheverel Road which appears to show a man walking with a girl. Warwickshire Police said Mulakhil was arrested four days after the incident last Saturday, and charged the following day. He appeared before Coventry Magistrates Court on Monday charged with two counts of vaginal and oral rape of the victim. Mulakhil has been remanded in custody to appear before Warwick Crown Court on August 26. Kabir was arrested on Thursday, and charged with aiding and abetting rape of the 12-year-old, as well as strangulation and kidnap. He appeared before Coventry Magistrates Court yesterday (sat), and was remanded in custody until his appearance before Warwick Crown Court on August 26. Warwickshire Police said in a statement: 'We continue to appeal for witnesses who were in the Cheverel Street area between 8.30pm and 9.45pm on Tuesday 22 July and who saw anything of interest to please come forward.' Inquiries by the MoS in Nuneaton revealed that both Mulakhil and Kabir lived in two rented houses of multiple occupation (HMO) about 70 yards from each other on adjoining streets. Both properties are managed by Serco, which has accommodated around five asylum seekers in each house. Serco has a £1.9billion contract with the Home Office to house asylum seekers across the country. When the MoS contacted the owner of the property Mulakhil lived in, she said: 'I don't know anything because Serco manage the house completely.' When we asked Serco if they were aware of Mulakhil and Kabir, the company said in a statement: 'We do not confirm individual addresses, nor the names of people in properties we manage.' Gorwan Muhammad Ali, 27, an Iraqi Kurd who lives in the same house as Kabir, said: 'I have not seen Kabir for a few days. The police have come round the house. Kabir came to this country to work.' Ali added that all residents in the house get their bills paid by Serco, and are given £49 per week as spending money. Last night, councillors from the Tory party, as well as Labour and Reform – which controls Warwickshire County Council – said they did not know much about the incident, despite the huge interest. They blamed the police for not sharing any information with them. But a source told the MoS certain councillors and officials were informed by the police about the incident, and were advised not to reveal to the public that the two people charged were asylum seekers. The source said police feared the revelation could cause tensions in the community. The man, who did not want to be identified, said: 'It is horrific what's happened. But even though the police have done door-to-door enquiries and put out an announcement about the rape charge, they are refusing to say the details of who they are investigating or their background.' Warwickshire Police said in their statement: 'We work to hold offenders to account and will always do everything in our power to present a robust case to the courts and protect the integrity of court proceedings. 'Once someone is charged with an offence, we follow national guidance. This guidance does not include sharing ethnicity or immigration status. 'As our investigation progresses, the victim remains at the forefront of our focus, and we will continue to work with our partners – providing updates and working alongside the people of Nuneaton.' In recent months, other asylum seekers living in tax-payer-funded accommodation have been charged with serious sexual offences across the country. In some cases, local politicians have accused their council and the police of a 'cover-up', by trying to keep incidents secret, for fear they will inflame community tensions.
