Afghan data breach exposes UK spies and elite special forces: insiders reveal.

Afghan data breach exposes UK spies and elite special forces: insiders reveal.

Britain’s Afghan Resettlement Leak Exposed

The Scope of the Data Breach

  • Nearly 19,000 Afghans were named in the accidentally released spreadsheet.
  • More than 100 Britons, including spies and special‑forces troops, appeared on the same document.
  • Only two years after the Taliban took Kabul, the bulk of the data were leaked.

The Government’s Response

  • Defence Secretary John Healey admitted the leak to Parliament, saying the plan “was a hidden defence project.”
  • Prime Minister Keir Starmer demanded a briefing and said “Tory ministers must answer serious questions.”
  • Speaker Lindsay Hoyle highlighted “constitutional issues” surrounding the ban lifted by the court.

How the Resettlement Plan Works

The Afghan Response Route, a £400‑million (£850‑million) initiative, has already relocated:

  • 900 Afghan refugees and 3,600 family members—the programme’s first beneficiaries.
  • An additional 600 applicants accepted, pushing the total cost to “£850 million.”
  • These refugees comprise part of the roughly 36,000 Afghans accepted by Britain since August 2021.

Key Takeaways

  • Two‑year court‑blackout kept the leak hidden until media blackout lifted.
  • The leak unveiled secret resettlement details that were not briefed to Parliament.
  • British officials demand accountability and a public briefing on the hidden relocation scheme.