The UK secretly took thousands of Afghans from Afghanistan to the UK after their personal details were exposed, in one of the worst data breaches ever to occur in the country, putting them at risk of reprisals from the Taliban.
The operation cost about $2,7 billion.
Reuters he says:
The Defense Department leak in early 2022, which led to the release of data on Facebook the following year, and a secret relocation program, was subject to a court order preventing the media from reporting on what happened. That court order was lifted on Tuesday after another court ruled.
British Defense Secretary John Healey apologized for the leak, which included details about members of parliament and senior military officers who were considering applications from Afghan soldiers (who were assisting the British military) to relocate to the UK along with their families.
"This serious data breach should never have happened," John Healey told the House of Commons. It may have happened three years ago under the previous government, but to all the people whose data was breached, I offer a sincere apology.
The incident ranks among the worst security breaches in modern British history because of the cost and risk it posed to the lives of thousands of Afghans, some of whom fought alongside British forces until their chaotic withdrawal in 2021.
Healey said around 4.500 Afghans and their family members have been relocated or are on their way to Britain under a secret plan.
But he added that no one else from Afghanistan would be offered asylum because of the data leak, citing a government investigation that found little evidence of Taliban intent to seek retaliation against the former officials.
George is still wondering what he is doing here….
