Latest news with #Afghan nationals
Russia Today
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
UK spent over $1.1 billion on importing Afghans
The British government has reportedly spent at least £850 million (around $1.1 billion) on a covert resettlement operation for thousands of Afghan nationals after a Ministry of Defence (MoD) data leak exposed their personal details to potential reprisals, officials confirmed on Tuesday after years of attempting to conceal the blunder. In February 2022, an unnamed MoD official mistakenly emailed a spreadsheet containing sensitive information on up to 33,000 Afghans. Many had collaborated with British forces during the NATO-led invasion and had applied for asylum after the Taliban seized power. The breach went unnoticed until 2023, when some of the leaked data – including names, locations, and personal information about applicants and their families – surfaced on Facebook, raising fears that as many as 100,000 individuals could face retaliation as traitors. To contain the fallout, the UK government imposed a 'super-injunction' under the codename Operation Rubific and quietly launched an emergency relocation initiative, the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR), aimed at helping individuals who would otherwise have been ineligible for entry to the UK. British Defence Secretary John Healey appeared to downplay the incident, stating that only around 900 principal applicants and 3,600 family members had been relocated to Britain 'at a cost of £400 million.' He added that the government would still honor invitations extended to another 600 individuals and an unspecified number of their relatives before the ARR was discontinued – bringing the total cost of the emergency scheme to approximately £850 million. However, a military review cited by The Times revealed that nearly 24,000 people affected by the breach have been resettled in the UK, many through other existing programs. Altogether, various Afghan relocation efforts could cost British taxpayers up to £6 billion, with £2.7 billion already spent. A pending lawsuit by those affected is expected to cost at least another £250 million. Healey issued 'a sincere apology today on behalf of the British Government' on Tuesday, after a court lifted the reporting restrictions in response to legal challenges demanding greater transparency. 'This serious data incident should never have happened,' Healey told MPs, stressing that it occurred 'three years ago under the previous government.'
Sky News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
MoD data breach put lives of around 20,000 Afghans 'at risk of serious violence'
A massive data breach by the Ministry of Defence has put the lives of around 20,000 Afghan nationals as well as their families 'at risk of serious violence', it can be revealed. Details about the blunder can finally be made public after a judge lifted a super injunction that had been sought by the government. Barings Law accused the Ministry of Defence of trying to hide the truth from the public. As well as the human cost, the scandal will likely leave the British government - and taxpayers - liable for large sums of money in compensation and support to those affected. The government is expected to make a statement to parliament imminently. The disaster is thought to have been triggered by the careless handling of an email that contained a list of the names and other details of around 20,000 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 collapse of the western-backed Afghan government that year, saw the Taliban return to power. The new government regards anyone who worked with British or other foreign forces during the previous two decades as a traitor. The source said a small number of people named on the list are known to have subsequently been killed though it is not clear if this was a direct result of the data breach. It is also not clear whether the Taliban has the list - only that the Ministry of Defence lost control of the information. Adnan Malik, head of data protection at Barings Law, said: "This is an incredibly serious data breach, which the Ministry of Defence has repeatedly tried to hide from the British public. "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." The law firm is working with around 1,000 of those impacted "to pursue potential legal action". It is thought that only a minority of the names on the list - about 10 to 15% - would have been eligible for help under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP). However, the breach means a much larger pool of people now potentially have a claim to request assistance or even to leave Afghanistan, fearing for their own security. "Through its careless handling of such sensitive information, the Ministry of Defence has put multiple lives at risk, damaged its own reputation, and put the success of future operations in jeopardy by eroding trust in its data security measures," Mr Malik said. "Our claimants continue to live with the fear of reprisal against them and their families, when they should have been met with gratitude and discretion for their service. We would expect substantial financial payments for each claimant in any future legal action. While this will not fully undo the harm they have been exposed to, it will enable them to move forward and rebuild their lives." While the Ministry of Defence's data breach is by far the largest involving Afghan nationals, it is not the first. Earlier this month, the MOD said Afghans impacted by a separate mistake could claim up to £4,000 in compensation four years after the incident happened. Human error resulted in the personal information of 265 Afghans who had worked alongside British troops being shared with hundreds of others who were on the same email distribution list in September 2021.
