UK Government Reveals Secret Afghan Resettlement Program After Data Leak Injunction Lifted

The British government yesterday, Tuesday, publicly disclosed a previously secret program that resettled thousands of Afghans in the UK following a significant data leak. The disclosure came as a rare court order, known as a super injunction, which had barred media reporting on the program, was lifted.

Defense Secretary John Healey offered a “sincere apology” for the compromise of information and the lack of transparency surrounding the initiative. He revealed in the House of Commons that a spreadsheet containing personal details of nearly 19,000 Afghans who applied to come to Britain after the 2021 Taliban takeover was accidentally released in 2022 due to an official’s email error. The government only learned of the breach 18 months later when some data appeared on Facebook.

The former Conservative government had secured the super injunction to prevent further dissemination of the sensitive information, establishing a secret program to relocate Afghans deemed most at risk from the Taliban. The current Labour Party government decided to make the program public, leading to the injunction’s lifting.

An independent review concluded there was little evidence the leaked data significantly increased Afghans’ risk of Taliban retribution, noting the Taliban’s existing intelligence sources and focus on current threats.

Under the secret initiative, approximately 4,500 Afghans (900 applicants and 3,600 family members) have been brought to the UK. The program is expected to resettle around 6,900 individuals before its closure, at an estimated cost of £850 million ($1.1 billion). This is in addition to the 36,000 Afghans relocated via other routes since 2021.

Critics, including lawyers and advocacy groups, argue that thousands who aided British forces remain vulnerable. Sean Humber of Leigh Day described the breach as “catastrophic,” causing immense “anxiety, fear and distress.” Nooralhaq Nasimi of the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association called for compensation and urgent protection for those still at risk.

The use of a super injunction, particularly by the government, is highly unusual and controversial. Unlike standard injunctions, super injunctions prohibit even reporting their existence. Judge Martin Chamberlain, in lifting the order, stated yesterday at the High Court that it had created a “scrutiny vacuum” and raised “serious free speech concerns,” completely shutting down normal democratic accountability.

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