The British government has quietly shut down a top-secret scheme meant to relocate thousands of Afghans fleeing Taliban rule. The program, intended to provide safety for those who supported UK forces, is now mired in controversy.

London

A significant data breach in the UK exposed the personal information of approximately 19,000 Afghans who had applied to relocate following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan. The leak, which occurred when a spreadsheet was emailed outside authorized government systems, led to the establishment of a secret resettlement scheme, protected by a court-ordered super injunction. 

The injunction was recently lifted, revealing the scope of the breach and the costs involved. Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized the previous government's handling of the situation, calling it one of the largest security breaches in modern British history. The Defence Secretary announced the immediate closure of the special relocation scheme, citing reduced risk to those affected and a desire for greater transparency.

UK data leak exposes Afghans, Starmer reacts

The scenes of chaos and desperation at Kabul airport in 2021. As the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, tens of thousands who'd worked for Western militaries and diplomatic missions fled the country, fearing reprisals. Thousands were left behind. So when the personal details of some 19,000 Afghans who'd applied to move to the UK after the Taliban takeover were accidentally leaked, it sparked panic within the Conservative-run British government. A new resettlement scheme for those affected was set up nine months after the data breach. But both the leak and the scheme remained top secret after the government obtained a so-called super injunction from the courts preventing public knowledge of the whole affair. Until Tuesday. And a judge in London's High Court lifted the injunction, making public that nearly 19,000 people had been offered relocation to the UK, a move that would likely cost several billion dollars, drawing criticism from the current Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, over the matter. Yesterday, the defence secretary set out the full extent of the failings that we inherited. A major data breach, a super injunction, a secret route that has already cost hundreds of millions of pounds. Ministers who served under the party opposite have serious questions to answer about how this was ever allowed to happen. This is among the biggest security breaches in modern British history, a result of a spreadsheet with personal details being emailed outside, quote, authorised government systems, and only detected when names on that list appeared on a social media site, in one of many data leaks that had occurred during the chaotic evacuations. But the defence secretary said that it was highly unlikely that people on the list were still at risk of being targeted, justifying, he said, a decision to shut down the scheme. I was able to confirm this data loss, lift the, see the injunction lifted, and close this special relocation scheme with immediate effect, was what I announced to parliament. And most importantly, it means that fewer people will be coming to this country, there'll be less cost to the taxpayer, and there is now greater transparency. Afghans who were relocated under the secret scheme were also unaware of what had happened, and the dangers they faced from this failure to keep their identities secret. Sonny Gallego, Al Jazeera.

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