MWE Correspondent
The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed that nearly 50 data breaches have occurred in the past four years within the unit responsible for handling relocation applications from Afghans who sought safety after the fall of Kabul.
Officials acknowledged that 49 breaches were recorded, a figure far higher than previously understood. While four of those incidents were already public—including the infamous 2022 leak that exposed the personal information of almost 19,000 Afghans who had assisted British forces—the remaining cases have only recently been disclosed following a series of legal challenges and freedom of information requests.
The 2022 exposure, one of the most damaging in government history, triggered a covert relocation effort that secretly moved thousands of vulnerable people to the UK. That programme was hidden from public view for years under a super-injunction, lifted only last month by the High Court.
Among the newly revealed incidents were errors serious enough to be reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the country’s data regulator. In one striking case, more than 250 Afghan applicants were accidentally copied into a single group email, leaving their names and contact details exposed and potentially endangering their lives. The blunder led to a financial penalty of £350,000.
Adding to the unease, a cyberattack on a defence contractor earlier this year compromised the records of over 3,000 people, including Afghan refugees, British military personnel, and journalists. Hackers were able to access emails and sensitive travel information, raising fresh questions about the UK’s ability to safeguard those it promised to protect.
For the people affected, these leaks are more than statistics—they represent risks of persecution, harassment, or even death. Many of the Afghans who applied under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy had worked closely with UK troops, serving as interpreters, fixers, or support staff. Their cooperation placed them in direct danger after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021.
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Legal experts argue that the failures reveal a “systemic pattern of negligence.” Adnan Malik, a lawyer representing some of the affected families, said what was once explained as isolated mistakes now appears to be a culture of carelessness. Security analysts, meanwhile, warn that the breaches could undermine trust in Britain’s commitments to allies overseas.
Perhaps most striking is the revelation of a clandestine evacuation mission, known as the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR). Launched in response to the 2022 breach, it relocated more than 6,000 Afghans at a cost running into billions of pounds. The entire operation was shielded from public scrutiny until this summer, when judges ruled secrecy was no longer justified.
While the scheme ultimately saved lives, its covert nature has fueled debate over whether the government prioritized avoiding embarrassment over transparency.
The Ministry of Defence insists that lessons have been learned. New software systems, stricter security protocols, and compulsory staff training are now in place. Officials stress they are working closely with regulators to ensure better protection of personal data in the future.
Yet for many, those assurances feel too late. “These weren’t just clerical mistakes,” one campaigner argued. “They put people’s lives at risk. Promises of reform don’t erase the fear these families have lived with for years.”
