US EditionAfghan Data Breach: Why UK Sought to Keep It a Secret
UNITED KINGDOM, JUL 18 – The breach exposed identities of nearly 19,000 Afghan applicants and 100 UK intelligence personnel, triggering a secret relocation scheme and raising security and compensation concerns.
- In February 2022, a defence official mistakenly emailed a spreadsheet containing sensitive details of nearly 19,000 Afghan nationals and over 100 British personnel, including spies and special forces members.
- The disclosure occurred during the Afghanistan Response Route, a covert relocation scheme that resettled over 34,000 people in the UK, but the breach remained secret under a superinjunction lasting almost two years.
- The High Court lifted the superinjunction on July 16, 2025, enabling public reporting; meanwhile, some leaked names surfaced on Facebook by August 2023, fueling scrutiny and concern.
- Experts warn that the exposed data poses long-term security risks as it could have been traded domestically and accessed by hostile groups more capable than the Taliban, though government reviews found limited evidence of targeted reprisals.
- The breach and prolonged secrecy prompted calls for a public inquiry, raised questions about government accountability, and revealed tensions between operational security and transparency for vulnerable individuals.
17 Articles
17 Articles
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