Unveiled: Britain's Secret Afghan Relocation Amid Data Breach
The UK initiated a top-secret operation to relocate Afghans to Britain following a data leak that exposed thousands to Taliban reprisals. The breach was initially hidden via a court injunction. Although a High Court judge lifted the injunction, concerns remain about potential dangers to those identified in the leaked data.
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A confidential British scheme was devised to transfer thousands of Afghans to the UK following a significant data leak that exposed their identities, sparking fears of Taliban retaliation. This revelation was made public after a court injunction preventing disclosures was annulled this week.
In early 2022, sensitive data regarding Afghans linked to the British government was mistakenly sent outside official channels, compromising personal information of 18,700 applicants. Alarmingly, parts of this dataset appeared on Facebook in August 2023. To manage the crisis, the UK government sought legal means to suppress the breach's exposure.
By April 2024, the Afghanistan Response Route was initiated for individuals at risk from the leak. Although the program has concluded, its disclosure came after a judicial decision in May 2024, enabling public and parliamentary oversight. Thus far, relocation efforts have directly involved 20,200 affected individuals, incurring costs upwards of 2 billion pounds.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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