UK to spend £6bn on Afghan relocation scheme after data breach exposes 19,000 individuals: Report

The UK government is set to spend up to £6bn (approximately ₹69,000 crore) to relocate thousands of Afghans following a data breach by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in 2022. 

The breach, which exposed the personal details of 18,700 Afghan nationals seeking resettlement in the UK, has led to a costly and urgent government response – the Afghan Response Route (ARR) – in an attempt to protect those whose lives were potentially at risk, The Guardian reported.

The data breach was reportedly discovered in August 2023 when the leaked information was posted in a Facebook group, which revealed the names of vulnerable Afghans, sparking fears that the Taliban could use the list to target them. As a result, the government rushed to launch the ARR scheme, which could cost upwards of £2bn. This scheme is part of a broader set of relocation programmes, with the total expenditure expected to reach between £5.5bn and £6bn.

In an unprecedented move, ministers reportedly applied for a superinjunction to suppress media coverage of the breach and the subsequent government response. 

The injunction, which effectively silenced public debate for nearly two years, has only just been lifted by the high court.

Defence Secretary John Healey later issued a public apology for the lack of transparency, admitting he had been deeply uncomfortable with the secrecy surrounding the issue.