UK Fast-Tracked Afghan Resettlement After Data Breach Threat

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) accelerated the resettlement application of an Afghan national after he posted names from a sensitive data breach on Facebook and indicated he could release further information, according to sources familiar with the matter. The individual, whose initial application to relocate to the UK had been rejected, obtained the data following an accidental leak from UK Special Forces headquarters in February 2022. The dataset contained details of nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied for relocation under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme.

British authorities located the man and urged him to remove the data from social media, offering to review his resettlement case more quickly in exchange. The BBC reports that the man is now living in the UK and is not facing criminal charges related to his actions. Government sources described the situation as one in which the individual used the leaked data to pressure his way into the country. The MoD declined to comment on the specific case, but a spokesperson stated that all applicants under Afghan relocation schemes are subject to "robust security checks in order to gain entry".

The data breach occurred when a UK Special Forces official inadvertently emailed personal details of all Arap applicants to someone outside the government, who then shared the information further. The breach was considered highly sensitive, as many applicants had worked with British forces and were at risk under Taliban rule. The incident led to the creation of a secret £850 million emergency resettlement scheme, which has brought around 4,500 Afghans to the UK so far.

Former veterans minister Johnny Mercer told the BBC the breach reflected "chaos" in the relocation process, saying, "He put the names on Facebook and essentially bribed the MoD to get in the country. The Ministry of Defence offered to expedite his case and next thing you know he's in the UK." Defence Secretary John Healey offered a "sincere apology" to those affected, calling the breach a "serious departmental error" and a "clear breach of strict data protection protocols". Healey said an independent review found it was "highly unlikely" anyone was targeted solely because of the breach, but acknowledged he could not confirm that no Afghans had been harmed as a result.

A High Court judgement made public this week noted it was "quite possible" that Taliban infiltrators had seen parts of the leaked document. Erin Alcock, a lawyer representing affected applicants, described the breach as a "catastrophic failure" to protect a vulnerable group. The MoD has not disclosed how many applicants may have been harmed following the breach, and some were only informed after a super-injunction on the case was lifted.