U.K. government secretly relocating thousands of Afghans after data leak exposed

A previously undisclosed UK government scheme to relocate thousands of Afghans has been revealed after a High Court lifted a superinjunction blocking media coverage.

The £850 million Afghanistan Response Route was quietly launched in April 2024 in response to a 2022 data breach, where a defence official accidentally leaked the personal details of nearly 19,000 Afghan nationals who had applied to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap).

The breach, which included names, contact information, and family details, was not discovered until over a year later, prompting fears the Taliban could target those identified.

Defence Secretary John Healey admitted the incident was a “serious departmental error” and issued a formal apology, confirming that around 4,500 people have already been relocated to the UK, with a total of nearly 7,000 expected.

The scheme has drawn criticism amid broader concerns about the UK’s immigration system, which is under significant strain.

Internal government documents revealed the plan could extend over five years and potentially cost up to £7 billion if expanded to include up to 25,000 people.

Critics argue the Afghanistan Response Route may be disproportionate, especially following a government-commissioned review suggesting the Taliban may not exploit the data as severely as feared.

The secrecy of the scheme, enforced by one of the UK’s longest-standing “superinjunctions”, has also raised concerns over transparency and accountability, with opposition figures questioning how such a large resettlement programme was kept hidden from public debate.