UK MoD Refuses Compensation for Thousands of Afghans After 2022 Data Breach

Thousands of Afghans whose personal data was leaked in a 2022 Ministry of Defence (MoD) breach are unlikely to receive compensation, despite fears they could face Taliban reprisals. The MoD has stated it will robustly defend against any legal claims, describing them as hypothetical, and will not proactively offer payouts to affected individuals. An independent investigation, known as the Rimmer review, concluded it is highly unlikely that being on the leaked spreadsheet alone would make individuals targets for the Taliban. The leak exposed details of more than 18,000 applicants under UK relocation schemes, including over 100 British officials, and came to light publicly in August 2023. While thousands of Afghans are still awaiting relocation to the UK, legal firms such as Barings Law are preparing lawsuits on behalf of over 1,000 clients affected by the breach. The UK government has already spent significant funds on relocation efforts but is reluctant to increase payments related to the data breach incident.