The UK Defense Ministry has come forward about a data breach affecting 18,000 Afghans, which resulted in the secret resettlement of 4,500 individuals to Britain amid ongoing immigration debates.
UK Government's Concealed Resettlement of Afghan Nationals Revealed After Data Breach
UK Government's Concealed Resettlement of Afghan Nationals Revealed After Data Breach
A significant security lapse led to the exposure of personal details of Afghans, prompting a secret resettlement initiative for those at risk.
The British government recently disclosed information regarding a severe data breach that inadvertently revealed the personal information of over 18,000 Afghans who had collaborated with its defense ministry before the Taliban's resurgence. This statement, made public for the first time on Tuesday, comes in the wake of an unprecedented security mishap in 2022, which had previously been concealed from the public and many lawmakers due to a “super injunction” gained by the former government under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Super injunctions are a controversial legal tool that can prevent news outlets from reporting on certain topics.
In a parliamentary address, Defense Secretary John Healey revealed that the personal details of several Afghans were disclosed in an email outside of official networks. The gravity of this breach wasn’t recognized until August 2023 when discussions about nine affected individuals surfaced on social media platforms.
In response to the situation, the Conservative-led government devised a covert resettlement program termed the Afghan Response Route, leading to the immigration of approximately 4,500 Afghans into the UK at an expenditure nearing $537 million. An additional 600 individuals and their families are still anticipated to be relocated.
Secretary Healey announced the termination of the relocation initiative and stated that a report has concluded that the Taliban appears to lack a systematic retribution agenda against the individuals identified in the exposed spreadsheet.
