UK Defence Secretary Admits Data Breach Put Thousands of Afghans at Risk

A major data breach within the UK Ministry of Defence exposed sensitive personal information of up to 33,000 Afghan applicants and their family members involved in the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap), putting as many as 100,000 people at risk of Taliban retaliation. The breach, caused by a British soldier accidentally sending the database to unauthorized recipients in February 2022, remained secret for nearly two years under a rare superinjunction to prevent public disclosure. Following the leak, the UK government launched Operation Rubific, a covert evacuation mission that has relocated over 18,500 Afghans to the UK, with thousands more planned for evacuation, at an estimated cost of up to £7 billion. Defence Secretary John Healey apologized for the "serious departmental error" and revealed that the resettlement scheme, which has already cost around £400 million, will be wound down but existing relocation offers will be honored. The government's response faced criticism for its secrecy and the prolonged use of legal measures to suppress information, with courts emphasizing the fundamental objectionability of decisions affecting thousands of lives occurring without parliamentary or media scrutiny. An independent review by the new Labour government is underway to assess the handling and consequences of this data breach.