Gag Order Lifted: Secret £850M Afghan Relocation Scheme and Data Breach Exposed

A years-long super-injunction has been lifted by the High Court, finally revealing details of a secret £850 million scheme to relocate thousands of Afghans to the UK following a significant government data breach. The covert operation, officially known as the Afghan Relocation Route, was established after an inadvertent leak in February 2022 exposed the personal details of nearly 19,000 individuals who had applied to move to the UK after the Taliban’s 2021 takeover.

The data breach, which saw sensitive information appear on Facebook, was discovered by the previous government in August 2023. Nine months later, the secret relocation scheme was initiated, successfully moving 4,500 Afghans to the UK so far. The public, however, remained unaware due to a government-obtained gagging order.

Defence Secretary John Healey issued a “sincere apology” in the House of Commons on Tuesday, confirming the leak was a “serious departmental error” involving a spreadsheet emailed outside authorised government systems. While the Metropolitan Police deemed a criminal investigation unnecessary, a 2024 High Court judgment, also made public on Tuesday, acknowledged the possibility of Taliban infiltrators gaining access to the leaked data.

Despite initial fears that up to 100,000 people could be at risk, an MoD review suggested it was “highly unlikely” individuals would be targeted solely due to the leak, and that the data may not have spread widely. However, 600 Afghan soldiers and 1,800 of their family members included in the breach are believed to still be in Afghanistan, with existing relocation offers set to be honoured as the scheme closes. Those impacted by the leak were only informed on Tuesday and advised to exercise caution. The scheme has already cost £400 million, with an additional £400-450 million projected.

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