Thousands of Afghans secure UK asylum after massive data breach
A Secret UK Programme to Rescue Afghans After a 2022 Data Leak
After a 2022 data breach put Afghan workers at risk, the British government revealed a covert relocation scheme on Tuesday. Defence Minister John Healey unveiled the programme to Parliament as the UK High Court lifted a super‑gag order that had silenced reporting.
Background of the Data Breach
- In February 2022, a spreadsheet leaked by a UK official contained the names and details of almost 19,000 Afghans seeking relocation to Britain.
- The leak occurred six months after Taliban forces seized Kabul.
- Healey described the incident as a “serious departmental error” that could have jeopardised lives.
The Afghan Response Route
Since April 2024, a secret programme helped those judged at “the highest risk of reprisals by the Taliban.” The scheme, known as the Afghan Response Route, has:
- Transported 900 Afghans and 3,600 family members to Britain or placed them in transit.
- Cost approximately £400 million ($535 million).
- Accepted applications from an additional 600 more people, raising the total cost to £850 million.
These refugees are part of a larger group of 36,000 Afghan nationals accepted by Britain under different schemes since the August 2021 fall of Kabul.
Political Handling of the Leak
While Labour’s opposition defence spokesman, Healey, was briefed on the scheme in December 2023, the previous Conservative government asked a court to impose a super‑injunction that banned any mention of the programme in Parliament or the press.
When Labour came to power in July 2024, the scheme was in full swing but Healey said he had been “deeply uncomfortable” to report to Parliament. He explained that ministers had decided not to inform parliamentarians early on about the data incident to avoid widespread publicity that could increase the Taliban’s risk of obtaining the dataset.
Review and Closure of the Scheme
Healey set up a review of the programme after becoming defence minister in the new Labour government. The review concluded there was “very little evidence” that the Taliban intended to conduct a campaign of retribution.
Q: Healey announced the Afghan Response Route has now been closed. A: He apologized for the data breach, saying it “should never have happened,” and estimated the total cost of relocating Afghan people to Britain at £5.5 billion to £6 billion.
Apology from the Previous Tory Government
Conservative party defence spokesperson James Cartlidge also apologized for the leak that occurred under the previous Tory government. He defended the decision to keep the scheme secret, stating the aim had been to avoid “an error by an official of the British state leading to torture or even murder of persons in the dataset at the hands of what remains a brutal Taliban regime.”
Final Verification and Immigration Figures
Healey said all those brought to the UK from Afghanistan had been accounted for in the country’s immigration figures. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to cut the number of migrants arriving in Britain.
Disciplinary Fines and Criticisms
- In 2023, the UK defence ministry was fined £350,000 by a data watchdog for disclosing personal information of 265 Afghans seeking to flee Taliban fighters during the chaotic fall of Kabul.
- Britain’s Afghanistan evacuation plan faced widespread criticism, with MPs accusing the government of “systemic failures of leadership, planning and preparation.”
- Hundreds of Afghans eligible for relocation were left behind, many with their lives potentially at risk after details of staff and job applicants remained at the abandoned British embassy in Kabul.
