Tue Jul 15 13:26:30 UTC 2025: ## News Article:

**U.K. Secretly Relocated Thousands of Afghans After Massive Data Breach**

**LONDON, July 15, 2025 (The Hindu)** – The United Kingdom has quietly relocated thousands of Afghans to British soil under a secret scheme initiated after a devastating data breach jeopardized the safety of those who aided British forces during the Afghanistan withdrawal. Court documents revealed today that a soldier’s accidental disclosure of personal details belonging to over 33,000 Afghans forced the government to act.

The data breach, which occurred in early 2022, exposed the identities and sensitive information of Afghans who had applied for relocation to the U.K., putting them at risk of Taliban retribution. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) initially obtained a superinjunction in 2023 to prevent public disclosure of the breach, fearing potential violence against those affected.

A May 2024 High Court judgment, made public today, revealed that approximately 20,000 people may require relocation, estimated to cost billions of pounds. Defence Minister John Healey confirmed that around 4,500 affected individuals are currently in the U.K. or in transit, at a cost of approximately 400 million pounds. The government also faces legal action from those affected by the breach.

A MoD-commissioned review disclosed that over 16,000 Afghans have been relocated to the U.K. as of May 2025. While Afghanistan remains a dangerous environment, the review found limited evidence of an organized Taliban campaign of retribution.

The Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s centre-left government, elected last July, launched a review into the breach and the relocation scheme, before making the information public today.

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