A leak from the UK Ministry of Defence forced thousands of Afghans to be relocated from their homes and onto UK soil. The leak, which took place in 2022 and saw data being published on Facebook in 2023, included details about members of parliament and senior military officers who supported applications to help Afghan soldiers who worked with the British military.
The soldiers and their families were considered at risk of retaliation by the Taliban following their return to power. The previous UK Conservative government led the relocation scheme, which according to Reuters cost the government around £2 billion.
Details of the leak were subject to a superinjunction preventing media from reporting what happened. British defence minister John Healey apologised for the leak, saying: "This serious data incident should never have happened. It may have occurred three years ago under the previous government, but to all whose data was compromised I offer a sincere apology."
Due to the cost involved and the risk posed to thousands of Afghans, the data breach is considered one of the worst in modern British history. Healey added that apart from the approximate 4,500 Afghans offered asylum, no one else would be offered the same due to the leak. This comes at a time when tensions around immigration in the UK are at a considerable high, driven by the anti-immigration Reform party, which currently leads in opinion polls.