Thousands of Afghans Secretly Moved To Britain After Data Leak (reuters.com)
- Reference: 0178388688
- News link: https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/07/16/0127216/thousands-of-afghans-secretly-moved-to-britain-after-data-leak
- Source link: https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/thousands-afghans-secretly-moved-britain-after-data-leak-2025-07-15/
> The leak by the Ministry of Defence in early 2022, which led to data being published on Facebook the following year, and the secret relocation program, were subject to a so-called superinjunction preventing the media reporting what happened, which was lifted on Tuesday by a court. British defence minister John Healey apologised for the leak, which included details about members of parliament and senior military officers who supported applications to help Afghan soldiers who worked with the British military and their families relocate to the UK. "This serious data incident should never have happened," Healey told lawmakers in the House of Commons. It may have occurred three years ago under the previous government, but to all whose data was compromised I offer a sincere apology."
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> The incident ranks among the worst security breaches in modern British history because of the cost and risk posed to the lives of thousands of Afghans, some of whom fought alongside British forces until their chaotic withdrawal in 2021. Healey said about 4,500 Afghans and their family members have been relocated or were on their way to Britain under the previously secret scheme. But he added that no-one else from Afghanistan would be offered asylum because of the data leak, citing a government review which found little evidence of intent from the Taliban to seek retribution against former officials.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/thousands-afghans-secretly-moved-britain-after-data-leak-2025-07-15/
Re: (Score:3)
You could almost say that Trump is a traitor to the West, when he secretly met with and sold off that country to the Taliban terrorists.
Of course, here it's different. (Score:2)
Meanwhile in the US, the Trump administration is trying to deport refugees back to Afghanistan, vaguely claiming there's an "improved security situation":
[1]https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom... [uscis.gov]
A court has put that on hold at the moment:
[2]https://www.theguardian.com/us... [theguardian.com]
The most ridiculous claim from Noem, in the link above:
Additionally, the termination furthers the national interest as DHS records indicate that there are recipients who have been under investigation for fraud and threatening our public safety and n
[1] https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-terminating-temporary-protected-status-for-afghanistan
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/14/court-blocks-trump-administration-afghans-protected-status
A real leader (Score:2)
"It may have occurred three years ago under the previous government, but to all whose data was compromised I offer a sincere apology."
This feels so weird after our own government's leader can't stop saying, "IT WAS BIDEN'S FAULT IT RAINED ON TUESDAY!"
Re: (Score:1)
Not everything should be transactional. There once was a concept of taking responsibility for mistakes.
Re: (Score:2)
This isn't a price tag. This is the cost of running a covert operation to exfiltrate thousand of people in government aircrafts. But it does not mean this huge value was paid to someone in particular. Mostly it's accounting for the cost of their army to fly their own aircraft. Maybe they account for the salary of the soldiers who took part. But those soldiers would have been paid anyway. Maybe they account for the depreciation of the aircraft. But if the aircraft was not really damaged then it's not really
Re: (Score:2)
What a disingenuously simplistic take. Yes, in order to secretly relocate a person in danger and their family to a new life in another country, all that is required is a plane ticket on any old regular airline. What about the stamp to put on the letter they mail the tickets in? Probably need nearly a whole British pound for that alone.
Re: (Score:2)
Damn, that whole Brexit thing really is giving them their money's worth, huh?
Re: good value for money (Score:4, Interesting)
The government response to a leaked document was to spend $7BN to import 45K Afghan citizens to UK and pass a law that made it a CRIME to report or even discuss the existence of the list, let alone mention who was on the list.
That is staggeringly bad, plain and simple...