Latest news with #Taliban reprisals
The Guardian
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Monday briefing: How the two-year effort to keep the Afghanistan data breach secret fell apart
Good morning. It has been described as the worst data breach in British history. A British defence official sent an email in 2022 containing the names and details of more than 18,700 people in Afghanistan who had applied for asylum under the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme; but somehow, some of the information on the spreadsheet was later leaked on a Facebook group. The Afghan people named in that spreadsheet became immediate and obvious targets for reprisals by the Taliban, and so the British government scrambled to resettle 900 individuals affected, along with 3,600 family members. While the resettlement route is now closed, the government has promised to honour 600 invitations already made to any named person still in Afghanistan and their immediate family. The cost of the whole operation is expected to reach £850m. Amid the shocking details of this scandal, what is perhaps most extraordinary is that, until last week, the majority of the British public had no idea that it had happened. We were not legally allowed to know about the leak, or to know that thousands of Afghans who worked with British forces were put at risk, or to know that thousands were resettled in the UK. This continued for two years because of an unprecedented superinjunction – the longest in British history. To understand the lengths the government went to cover up the crisis and the impact this will have on public trust, I spoke to the Guardian's defence editor Dan Sabbagh That's after the headlines. Health | The NHS is facing an 'absolutely shocking' £27bn bill for maternity failings in England, after a series of hospital scandals, resulting in hundreds of babies and women dying or suffering life-altering conditions, triggered a record level of legal claims. Middle East | Pope Leo XIV has condemned the 'barbarity' of the war in Gaza and the 'indiscriminate use of force' as Gaza's health ministry said at least 85 Palestinians had been killed queueing for food. UK news | More than four decades after the violent policing at Orgreave during the miners' strike and a failed prosecution criticised as a police 'frame up', the government has established an inquiry into the scandal. Protest | Four people were arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences during a pro-Palestine protest in Liverpool city centre on Sunday afternoon, police said. Merseyside police said material in support of campaign group Palestine Action was reportedly seen in the possession of a small number of protesters. UK weather | Half a month's rainfall could hit the UK in the next 24 hours, the Met Office has said. Yellow weather warnings for rain and thunderstorms were in place in Northern Ireland, Scotland and the north and south-west of England until 10pm on Sunday, with more warnings coming into force in other areas on Monday. The previous Conservative government became aware of the leak 18 months after the incident – in August 2023 – after the spreadsheet was published on Facebook. The government then took action to get the post removed, but journalists became quickly aware of the breach, prompting the government to take an extraordinary court injunction to stop the data leak going public. The judge went further, granting the government a superinjunction, a mechanism which prevents disclosure of the very existence of the injunction itself. It's worth noting why this was granted: there are real and founded fears that the Afghans on that list would face retaliation from the Taliban for working with British forces. Yet there are also significant questions to be asked about the length of the injunction, and its scale ('against the whole world'): was it about protecting vulnerable Afghans? Or was it about protecting the British government from scandal? Legal campaigners have condemned the superinjunction for using national security to provide legal cover for what they argue is a political crisis. The legal injunction came into force in September 2023, and 'the Tories let it run,' Dan Sabbagh tells me. 'The timeline shows they wanted it hushed until after the election. Mr Justice Chamberlain rules twice to maintain the injunction, then a third time says, 'no, it's too big'. That's around May 2024. The election is called around then, but the government appeals and delays it past the election.' Dan spoke of his astonishment that a leak of such a serious nature was covered up for years. 'And then on top of that, a remedial scheme was cooked up over a succession of cabinet meetings, expanding in size, costing more and more money. So a real, massive commitment was being agreed in order to conceal the fact of the error. And all this was kept secret from the press, from parliament, and ultimately the public.' The impact on Afghans There has been a great deal of scrutiny on the secrecy and the impact this will have on the public. I'll get into that with Dan later, because first I want to take the time to highlight the people in Afghanistan whose lives have been devastated by this leak. 'People have previously spoken about the western involvement in Afghanistan, the catastrophic withdrawal and the thousands of people who built their lives around the western presence who had all that taken away. But it's important to know that nowhere near enough of those people were helped. Some of them are still in hiding, some of them have been killed. There's genuine worry about their safety under the Taliban,' Dan said. One Afghan who worked as an interpreter told the Guardian 'it felt like my blood had turned to ice' when he found out his name was leaked. He hasn't been able to bring himself to tell his family of the nightmare they have been engulfed in. Other members of his family are in hiding, some have been killed. Another interpreter simply said: 'The Taliban has been actively hunting down those who worked with UK forces. I am ashamed that I put my children's lives at risk for a foreign power.' The thousands of Afghans who have not been evacuated to Britain are not expected to receive any compensation, according to a report by The Times. Dan was keen to add that Labour have since shut down the scheme that was launched to resettle applicants affected by the leak. 'They've also shut down the other two Afghan schemes. So now there's no legal route to come to the UK from Afghanistan. When Afghans do come, they generally get asylum, so we might see more of them in Calais.' Soldiers and spies named The spreadsheet had a 'key notes' column near the name of every Afghan applicant, providing extra information. This included things such as: 'worked with British military,' 'was Afghan special forces,' 'case expedited,' or even 'secretary of state says no', Dan told me. Sometimes, entries named specific UK figures vouching for people. That's how the names of more than 100 officials and soldiers, as well as a handful of MI6 officers, also got out. 'We couldn't report that until [Thursday] due to residual restrictions. There was another hearing in front of Mr Justice Chamberlain who said, 'I'm now going to hear all this in public.' But the Ministry of Defence immediately wanted an hour in closed session to talk about national security,' Dan said. How useful is this information about British forces and intelligence for Britain's enemies? 'The British state really doesn't like the names of secret service or informants coming out,' he said. The scale of the secrecy While leaks and data breaches are not uncommon, this scandal that followed is unparalleled in its scope. 'The unprecedented bit is the secrecy. The superinjunction to cover up what was initially just a mistake, though potentially dangerous, yes. But then, the extraordinary secrecy, the massive policy response that was also secret, which was kept from parliament, the press and public. It's absolutely unprecedented,' Dan said. Dan told me that much of the decision to keep this a secret was taken by the Conservatives. Ben Wallace was defence secretary until the end of August 2023, and his only role was to seek the injunction. Grant Shapps was in that role through the period of the cover-up and in charge when the superinjunction was being fought, then expanded. Other ministers, such as deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden and armed forces minister James Heappey, also knew, Dan said. The only Labour figures who knew before the election were then shadow defence secretary John Healey and speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle, both subject to the superinjunction. Due to the severity of the legal threat, Healey did not tell his party leader Keir Starmer about it. When Labour won the election, they rolled the scheme and injunction for six months, then commissioned a review in January 2025. So what's happened since? Former Tory government ministers, such as Grant Shapps, have since defended the use of the superinjunction, while Keir Starmer said former Conservative ministers have 'serious questions to answer' over the breach. It's hard to properly digest the impact this could have on public trust, Dan added. 'If you believe there's a deep state out there working against the public's interest, this is your proof. And it touches on migration, which is the most politically toxic issue of the moment.' Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Rowena Mason and Ben Quinn have a cracking report on Reform's 'scattergun campaign' to turn a Tory big beast or two to the cause. Speaking to insiders, they hear how the party has designs on nabbing a Jacob Rees-Mogg, Suella Braverman … or even a Liz Truss. Charlie Lindlar, acting deputy editor, newsletters The power over the planet is wielded by a small number of autocratic states, writes the Guardian's environment editor Fiona Harvey, and their actions, or lack thereof, could determine whether the world succeeds in limiting catastrophic climate change. Aamna Superfoods instinctively feel like one of those things you have to a special shop for. But not so, says Rachel Dixon, in this much-needed piece digging into 17 'overlooked' superfoods, including, apparently, tomatoes? Charlie Can a relationship survive if one partner suddenly goes 'woo-woo'; think, tarot cards, astrology. Well, yes, writes Emma Beddington, but only up to a point. Something my husband can attest to. Aamna Back on the food and drink theme, Elle Hunt went in search of this year's 'drink of the summer' and thinks she's found it. It's not a spicy paloma, nor this godless thing called a BuzzBall, but, she reckons, a Finnish gin concoction. Charlie Golf | Scottie Scheffler had all the time in the world to celebrate his latest major title. Sunday's British Open was never in doubt as golf's number 1 player delivered another dominant performance to win his second major this year and grab the third leg of the career grand slam. Football | England have condemned the 'online poison' of racist abuse directed at the defender Jess Carter during the European Championship in Switzerland and said they will stop taking a knee before matches because 'football needs to find another way to tackle racism'. Football | West Ham have completed the signing of the free agent Kyle Walker‑Peters, whose Southampton contract expired this summer. The former Tottenham full-back joins Graham Potter to continue the Hammers' summer business, which has been slow going so far. The Guardian has 'Revealed: £27bn bill for failings in England's mother and baby care'. The Financial Times leads with 'Downing Street faces forced retreat in Apple encryption battle with US'. The Telegraph says 'Farage: I'll build more jails to clean up streets'. The Times reports 'Reeves set to defy left over call for wealth tax'. The Mail has 'BMA's war chest to fund doctors' strikes'. The Sun leads with 'Fears over Gazza dash to A&E'. Finally, the Mirror reports on racist abuse suffered by England Lioness Jess Carter with 'We stand with Jess'. Has Elon Musk built a Nazi chatbot? Is the extreme output of X's AI chatbot Grok shifting the political dial? Chris Stokel-Walker reports. Sign up for Inside Saturday to see more of Edith Pritchett's cartoons, the best Saturday magazine content and an exclusive look behind the scenes A bit of good news to remind you that the world's not all bad Rachel Reeves is the first female chancellor of the exchequer, but she is far from alone. As the Guardian's economics editor Heather Stewart notes, the commanding heights of economic policymaking in the UK are becoming much less male. The Institute for Government's director is Hannah White, its chief economist, Gemma Tetlow, and the new director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies is Helen Miller. The Resolution Foundation is now run by Ruth Curtice, a former Treasury economist. Rain Newton-Smith, another economist, has the task of repairing the CBI's scandal-rocked reputation as its director general. Two of the four deputy governors of the Bank of England are women, too – as are the leaders of a string of powerful trades unions. 'This female takeover has been a quiet and matter-of-fact one,' Stewart writes, 'but it marks a significant change, very noticeable upon returning to covering the field, after a few years away.' Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday And finally, the Guardian's puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword Wordiply
The Guardian
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
What we know about the secret Afghan relocation scheme
Details have emerged for the first time of an enormous accidental data breach by a British official in 2022 that put 100,000 Afghans at risk of torture and death, and the huge efforts by successive governments to keep the blunder secret, citing the risk of Taliban reprisals. Thousands of Afghan people – some of whom had worked with British forces in the country – have been secretly relocated to the UK as a direct result of the leak, at an additional cost of more than £850m. The breach has been subject to a superinjunction since August 2023, meaning journalists were banned from disclosing anything about it – or even the fact that an injunction existed. The superinjunction, which is the first ever requested by a British government and the longest in history, was lifted by the high court on Tuesday, which is why details of the leak and response can now be revealed. The leak in February 2022 was the result of an error by a defence official, who had been tasked with verifying applications to the Afghanistan Resettlement and Assistance Policy (Arap) resettlement scheme, designed for Afghans who had worked for British forces in the country. Working outside authorised government systems, he contacted a number of Afghans in the UK, believing he was sending a list of 150 names. Instead, he had emailed a copy of the entire list of applicants, from where it was passed on to others in Afghanistan. The Times reported the official was a British soldier based at Regent's Park barracks, the headquarters of the UK special forces. The leaked dataset contained the personal details of 18,800 individuals who were applying for resettlement along with their family members, including their phone numbers and in some cases addresses, amounting to 33,000 lines of data. Some emails of British government officials were also disclosed. It was discovered in August 2023 by an activist who was helping Afghans who had worked for UK forces. One of her contacts alerted her in alarm saying that an anonymous member of a Facebook group had said he had the database and was threatening to post it in full. She immediately contacted the MoD, saying: 'The Taliban may now have a 33,000-long kill list – essentially provided to them by the British government. If any of these families are murdered, the government will be liable.' The discovery was 'simply bone-chilling', she wrote. The realisation sparked panic in Whitehall, and an immediate hunt for the source of the leak. At the same time, UK officials contacted 1,800 Arap applicants in Pakistan warning them that they might be in danger. The MoD asked Facebook to remove the post, citing the 'risk of physical harm'. It then launched a top secret initiative, named Operation Rubific, to secretly evacuate to the UK those deemed most at risk of Taliban assassination – although tens of thousands would be left behind. After a number of journalists became aware of the leak within days of its disclosure to the MoD, Ben Wallace, then the defence secretary, asked the high court for an order banning any mention of the breach. On 1 September 2023 the judge Mr Justice Knowles granted a three-month superinjunction 'against the world', rather than named individuals, the first of its kind. Another judge extended it the following February, saying there was a 'real possibility that it is serving to protect' those named in the leaked database. However he cautioned: 'What is clear is that the government has decided to offer help to only a very small proportion of those whose lives have been endangered by the data incident and that the decisions in this regard are being taken without any opportunity for scrutiny through the media or in parliament.' The injuction was later extended further, despite challenges from four media organisations. The government cited concerns of retribution from the Taliban against those named. In December 2023 a covert new scheme called the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR), was set up to evacuate to the UK some individuals on the list who were ineligible for Arap. Though it was initially set up to resettle around 200 'principals' and their families, to date 900 individuals and 3,600 family members have been brought to Britain or are in transit via ARR, at a cost of £400m. Taking into account the wider schemes, other official figures show that so far the government has relocated 35,245 Afghans to Britain, of whom 16,156 were among those affected by the data leak. The present defence minister, John Healey, had been briefed on the leak while in opposition, but said on Tuesday that other cabinet members had only become aware of the situation after Labour was elected to government in July 2024. On taking office he 'began straightway to take a hard look at the policy complexities, costs, risks, court hearings and the range of Afghan relocation schemes being run across government', he told parliament on Tuesday. In January, he commissioned a former senior civil servant, Paul Rimmer, to conduct an independent review. He concluded that, nearly four years into Taliban rule of Afghanistan, the leaked data 'may not have spread nearly as widely as initially feared', and 'there is little evidence of intent by the Taliban to conduct a campaign of retribution' against those on the leaked list. The review concluded that the ARR scheme 'may now be disproportionate to the actual impact of the data loss'. As a result, the government told the high court on Tuesday that the superinjunction should be discontinued. In his ruling, Mr Justice Chamberlain described the cost of the plans as amounting to 'the sort of money which makes a material difference to government spending plans and is normally the stuff of political debate'. The ARR has now closed, Healey told MPs, although he said 600 'invitations' that had already been granted to individuals and their families would be honoured. 'When this nation makes a promise, we should keep it,' he said. He also offered 'a sincere apology on behalf of the British government', which was echoed by the Conservative shadow defence minister, James Cartlidge. MoD figures published on Tuesday show that across several Afghan resettlement schemes, the numbers of those who have already come to the UK and those who have not yet travelled total 56,100 people, including family members. The estimated total cost of all resettlement schemes is now £5.5-6bn. The covert ARR scheme set up specifically in response to the leak is expected to cost £850m.
