Latest news with #BaringsLaw
Daily Mail
20-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Afghan troops whose personal details were leaked may be in line for a £20,000 payout, sources say
The veterans minister has met Afghan troops whose personal details were leaked ahead of an expected compensation deal. Al Carns staged talks with former Special Forces soldiers on Saturday before formal negotiations around payouts begin. The meetings with the 'Triples' – a name derived from the code numbers of their units – took place at an Afghan community festival in Birmingham. According to legal sources, defence chiefs intend to make an offer to the Triples to settle out of court, in a bid to cut out law firms. Direct payments from the UK Government to the Afghans of around £20,000 have been mentioned. Mr Carns, a former Royal Marines officer who served with some of the Triples in Afghanistan, said it was 'great to sit down with some of my Afghan friends'. He added: 'We talked about how they're finding life in the UK, mental health and importantly how many would be interested in serving again in one form or another.' Ministers have pledged to play hardball in a bid to reduce the costs of the leak. Mr Carns (pictured speaking with British Army personnel in October last year), a former Royal Marines officer who served with some of the Triples in Afghanistan, said it was 'great to sit down with some of my Afghan friends' At one point ministers signed off an estimate of £7billion, which they say includes all the Government's Afghan schemes. Law firms such as Manchester-based Barings Law are confident they can obtain much more than £20,000 on their clients' behalf. The firm's Adnan Malik said: 'The Government claims they will not be paying compensation but are trying to make a secret agreement. ' The Ministry of Defence said: 'Throughout our relocations scheme, we are honouring the commitment to those brave Afghans that supported the UK mission.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Thousands of Afghans won't be compensated by UK for data breach
Thousands of Afghans whose personal details were leaked but who were not evacuated to Britain are not expected to receive any compensation. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) will "robustly defend against any legal action or compensation", a spokesperson told the BBC, adding that these were "hypothetical claims". The MoD will also not proactively give small payouts to people whose lives were put in danger after the February 2022 leak, the Times reported. The names and details of more than 19,000 people were leaked, with many Afghans now saying they fear retribution from the Taliban. The spokesperson added that an independent review, known as the Rimmer review, commissioned by the Defence Secretary John Healey found: "It is highly unlikely that merely being on the spreadsheet would be grounds for an individual to be targeted." This week, Healey announced the lifting of a super-injunction that made it illegal to both publicise the leak and refer to the existence of the court order. That came after the completion of the Rimmer review, which concluded: "There is little evidence of intent by the Taliban to conduct a campaign of retribution against former officials." The largest lawsuit is being prepared by Barings Law, a firm that has more than 1,000 Afghan clients, according to The Times. It is unclear how many of those clients are currently in Afghanistan. The leak occurred when an unnamed official emailed the spreadsheet outside of the government team processing Afghan relocation applications and it made its way into the public domain. Knowledge of the leak only emerged in August 2023, when the names of nine people who had applied to move to the UK appeared on Facebook. The Taliban leadership continues to face international isolation due to its human rights abuses, especially those targeting women. Russia is the only country that recognises the current Afghan government, and the British embassy to Kabul has remained close since the Taliban takeover in 2021. What we know so far about Afghan data breach Afghans express fear for relatives' safety after UK data leak An Afghan man who had been turned down for relocation was responsible for sharing the names on Facebook, and was offered an expedited review of his application in return for taking it down, the BBC reported last week. More than 100 British officials, including members of the special forces and MI6, were compromised in the same data breach. Since the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan, more than 36,000 Afghans have moved to the UK. Of those, more than 16,000 individuals were deemed to have been at risk from the leak, the MoD confirmed to the BBC. The government has so far spent £400m on the scheme to relocate Afghans. But the total cost of relocating all Afghans is expected to rise to around £5.5-£6bn, according to the government.
BBC News
19-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Thousands of Afghans won't receive compensation for data breach
Thousands of Afghans whose personal details were leaked but who were not evacuated to Britain are not expected to receive any compensation. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) will "robustly defend against any legal action or compensation", a spokesperson told the BBC, adding that these were "hypothetical claims". The MoD will also not proactively give small payouts to people whose lives were put in danger after the February 2022 leak, the Times reported. The names and details of more than 19,000 people were leaked, with many Afghans now saying they fear retribution from the Taliban. The spokesperson added that an independent review, known as the Rimmer review, commissioned by the Defence Secretary John Healey found: "It is highly unlikely that merely being on the spreadsheet would be grounds for an individual to be targeted."This week, Healey announced the lifting of a super-injunction that made it illegal to both publicise the leak and refer to the existence of the court came after the completion of the Rimmer review, which concluded: "There is little evidence of intent by the Taliban to conduct a campaign of retribution against former officials."The largest lawsuit is being prepared by Barings Law, a firm that has more than 1,000 Afghan clients, according to The is unclear how many of those clients are currently in Afghanistan. The leak occurred when an unnamed official emailed the spreadsheet outside of the government team processing Afghan relocation applications and it made its way into the public of the leak only emerged in August 2023, when the names of nine people who had applied to move to the UK appeared on Taliban leadership continues to face international isolation due to its human rights abuses, especially those targeting women. Russia is the only country that recognises the current Afghan government, and the British embassy to Kabul has remained close since the Taliban takeover in 2021. An Afghan man who had been turned down for relocation was responsible for sharing the names on Facebook, and was offered an expedited review of his application in return for taking it down, the BBC reported last than 100 British officials, including members of the special forces and MI6, were compromised in the same data breach. Since the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan, more than 36,000 Afghans have moved to the UK. Of those, more than 16,000 individuals were deemed to have been at risk from the leak, the MoD confirmed to the government has so far spent £400m on the scheme to relocate the total cost of relocating all Afghans is expected to rise to around £5.5-£6bn, according to the government.
The Sun
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
MoD braced for £1billion compensation bill after 100k lives put at risk of Taliban death squads by Afghan leak scandal
DEFENCE chiefs are braced for a £1billion compensation bill over a data breach which revealed Afghans who supported UK forces. Around 100,000 were put at risk of Taliban death squads when their names or loved ones' were revealed in 2022 — with the blunder then 'covered up' by a UK gagging order. 7 7 7 Thousands could sue the MoD after the leak was made public this week. Almost 900 Afghans on the 'kill list' email leak are ready to sue — with lawyers saying thousands more are poised to join them. Legal sources claimed victims whose lives were endangered could be entitled 'to five-figure payouts'. Adnan Malik, at Manchester firm Barings Law, which is representing nearly 900, said: 'The victims have been exposed to not just financial harm, but the real threat of violence and death. In some cases, these threats have been tragically carried out. Monies claimed will vary substantially between claimants, we would expect sums upwards of five figures for each person affected.' That could see the overall compensation bill pass £1billion. The February 2022 leak was caused by a Special Forces soldier who accidentally shared a list of 18,714 people who had applied to flee to Britain in the wake of the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. The list included their last-known location s, how they served British forces, and in some instances who supported their claims — including MPs, Special Forces and spies. The leak, which included details of a 'secret route' for some of those affected to come to the UK, was only discovered when excerpts were put on Facebook in August 2023. Taliban warns thousands of Afghans secretly airlifted to UK 'we will HUNT you down' The next month, the Tory government used a superinjunction to stop journalists reporting the breach. It was extended until being lifted by a High Court judge this Tuesday. A defence source said yesterday: 'People on that list had fought with British forces in Afghanistan. 'They fought against the Taliban. First of all we let the Taliban take over, and then when these people came to us for help we put their lives in even more danger.' The potential huge bill emerged as Nigel Farage claimed 'convicted sex offenders' are among the Afghans secretly airlifted into the UK. The Reform UK leader said the rescue of almost 20,000 Afghans is a risk to women's safety — triggering a row with Labour and the Tories. Defence Secretary John Healey insisted everyone had been checked 'carefully' for any criminal records. And he said if Mr Farage had any hard evidence, he should report it to police. Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride also said Mr Farage should provide evidence for his claims. PM Sir Keir Starmer said the previous Tory government had serious questions to answer over the leak. Hunting people down Sir Ben Wallace, Defence Secretary at the time, insisted there was not a cover-up and the gagging order was to protect at-risk Afghans, and he made 'no apology' for doing so. Sir Ben also said he applied for a four-month injunction and did not know why it was converted into a superinjunction in September 2023, when Grant Shapps had taken over as Defence Secretary. 7 Ex-Tory MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said Mr Shapps had questions to answer. Mr Shapps has yet to comment. Meanwhile, Zia Yusuf, head of Reform's Department of Government Efficiency, has launched a petition calling for an independent, judge-led inquiry. He said: 'We want to know who made these decisions.' Lawyers insisted the injunction was necessary to protect the lives of people who were named and at risk of Taliban reprisals. It included hundreds of Afghan Special Forces who had served in units known as the Triples, alongside Britain's SAS and SBS. The Triples conducted thousands of night raids against senior Taliban leaders and counter-narcotics operations. Last night, Taliban sources claimed they have had the list for years — and had been hunting down those on it. A Taliban official said: 'We got the list from the internet during the first days when it was leaked. 'A special unit has been launched to find them and make sure they do not work with Britain. We've been calling and visiting their family members to track them down.' 7 7 In 2023, the Government launched a secret airlift, codenamed Operation Rubific, to smuggle around 4,500 people on the list to Britain. They are among 34,000 Afghans who have been offered new lives in Britain since the Taliban takeover. That number is expected to rise to 43,000 and the Government predicts the total cost will be £7billion. An MoD spokesman yesterday insisted a £1billion compensation bill was 'pure speculation'. He said: 'The Government inherited a deeply complex situation and since taking office, have taken appropriate action in line with the level of risk these individuals faced. 'We will do everything possible to defend against any compensation claims and any we do get, we will fight them hard.' MINISTERS' BLAME GAME FORMER Tory ministers have turned on each other as a blame game erupted over the Afghan data leak. Former PM Liz Truss accused ex-Defence Secretary Sir Ben Wallace of a 'huge betrayal of public trust'. She said she was 'shocked by the secrecy' of Operation Rubific, which brought 4,500 Afghans to Britain after their details were leaked. And she demanded those responsible in governments and the bureaucracy needed to be held to account. But Sir Ben hit back by claiming Ms Truss — Foreign Secretary under Boris Johnson in February 2022 — approved the plan in office. He replied to her X post: 'Oh dear Liz. Not quite. You were part of the Cabinet that approved the relocation of Afghans and the wider Home Office refugee scheme.' He also defended his actions, writing: 'I make no apology for applying to the court for an injunction at the time. Imagine if the Taliban had been alerted to the existence of this list.' Sir Keir Starmer said both former ministers had 'serious questions to answer' about the airlift that may ultimately cost an estimated £7billion. Ex-Tory MP Sir Jacob Rees Mogg also called on Sir Grant Shapps, who was Defence Secretary when the injunction became a superinjunction, to speak out on the revelations. And Reform UK's Zia Yusuf has called for a judge-led inquiry into the operation.
Telegraph
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
MoD warns lawyers it will ‘fight them hard' on Afghan leak compensation
The Ministry of Defence has warned law firms suing for compensation for the Afghan leak victims that it will 'fight them hard'. At least two practices have vowed to take legal action against the Government on behalf of hundreds who claim they were affected by the most damaging data breach in British history. The 2022 leak of details of 18,800 Afghans, along with about 6,000 of their family members, was revealed on Tuesday after a super-injunction was lifted by the High Court. Hundreds of Afghans say the leak by a Royal Marine risked their lives. Compensation cases could cost taxpayers nearly £1bn, with two legal firms saying they are representing clients. However, a spokesman for the MoD said: 'We will do everything possible to defend against any compensation claims. 'We have taken appropriate action in line with the level of risk these individuals faced. Any claims we do get, we will fight them hard.' It is not clear what the MoD's defence would be, and the ministry would not elaborate on this. The breach occurred in February 2022, when the Marine emailed a group of Afghans, accidentally including a spreadsheet naming nearly 25,000 Afghans applying for asylum on the basis they had worked with the British Army, as well as identifying their family members. Law firms are approaching clients to sue the MoD, including Barings Law, based in Manchester, which is acting on behalf of at least 1,000 Afghans who claim they were affected. It was reported the firm sent messages on WhatsApp groups urging Afghans to sign up to the legal case on the expectation they would be given large sums of money, without being able to explain the grounds without breaching the super-injunction. It hopes to claim £50,000 from the MoD for each individual involved in the breach. If all 18,800 soldiers make a successful claim, the compensation bill could be as high as £940m. That sum could grow if any of the Afghan soldiers' family members join the legal claim, taking it towards £1 billion in total. Adnan Malik, head of data protection at Barings Law, said: 'This is an incredibly serious data breach, which the MoD 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. 'Through its careless handling of such sensitive information, the MoD 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.' Second firm involved The Telegraph can reveal that a second law firm, Leigh Day, is acting for potential clients. A spokesman said the firm had been contacted by clients who had been told by the MoD that their details were part of the data breach. Others approached Leigh Day via its website after reading about its work. Sean Humber, a data breach lawyer, said: 'We are acting for clients affected by the data breach who remain in Afghanistan and others who are now in the UK. 'The priority must be ensuring the safety of those affected by the data breach who remain in Afghanistan. 'The level of compensation is likely to be in the thousands, although the exact amount is likely to vary and will probably be higher for those remaining in Afghanistan compared to those that have successfully relocated to the UK.' The firm said it could not say how many clients it had or how much compensation they were seeking. The leak came to light in 2023, when an anonymous Facebook user posted extracts of the data on the social media site. MoD officials contacted Meta, the company that owns Facebook, and the posts were deleted within three days. However, the Government decided it had no choice but to offer asylum to the Afghans affected because the leak had left them at risk of reprisals from the Taliban. The breach has only just come to public attention after an unprecedented super-injunction was lifted by the High Court. The MoD's combative approach to compensation is a marked contrast to the Tory government's stance over a previous 'BCC incident' in 2021. Then, the MoD mistakenly exposed the personal information of 277 Afghan nationals, some of whom had worked for the British government and were in hiding from the Taliban. A mass email was sent to those, such as interpreters, who could be targeted by the Taliban and were eligible to be relocated. Their emails were added to the 'To' field instead of the 'blind carbon copy' section, meaning their names could be seen by all recipients. The Tory government agreed to set up a taxpayer-funded compensation scheme, which Labour agreed to honour with an offer of up to £4,000 for each of the victims. But they will not do the same for the latest data breach, which is on a much larger scale and could have put 100,000 lives at risk.
