UK Secretly Resettles Thousands of Afghans After Data Breach
In a dramatic and previously undisclosed operation, the United Kingdom has secretly resettled thousands of Afghan nationals following a major government data breach that exposed sensitive personal details of individuals who had worked alongside British forces in Afghanistan. The effort, only recently made public in July 2025, was launched after a critical error by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in 2022 put lives at risk.
The breach occurred when a MoD official mistakenly sent an unencrypted spreadsheet via email that included the names, contact information, and locations of over 25,000 Afghans eligible for relocation under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP). The recipients of the email were part of an open mailing list, allowing the data to spread across unsecured platforms. By late 2023, portions of the leaked information had surfaced online, sparking fears that the Taliban could target those named.
To contain the fallout, the UK government quickly obtained a super-injunction from the High Court, preventing media from reporting on the incident and even acknowledging the existence of the injunction. Behind the scenes, the government initiated a covert operation—codenamed “Operation Warm Welcome Plus”—to quietly extract and relocate those affected by the breach.
Over 4,500 Afghans, including interpreters, embassy staff, security personnel, and their families, were flown to Britain through undisclosed routes. Many of these evacuations took place via third countries like Pakistan, Qatar, and the UAE, in coordination with humanitarian partners and the UK’s intelligence agencies. According to newly released documents, the full number of people involved in the operation may exceed 6,500.
Critics have expressed outrage at both the breach itself and the lack of transparency surrounding the response. Human rights organizations say the secrecy left vulnerable individuals in limbo, unaware of the government’s plans or their own eligibility for protection. Some families remained in hiding for over a year, unsure if they would be rescued. Legal experts have also raised questions about the ethics and legality of the super-injunction, which many viewed as an attempt to shield the government from political fallout.
Defence Secretary John Healey, speaking in Parliament after the gag order was lifted, offered a public apology and acknowledged the grave risk caused by the data leak. “This should never have happened,” he said. “We failed to protect people who served us with courage, and we are working to make it right.” The government has pledged to compensate those affected and to overhaul its data handling procedures.
The episode has sparked a broader conversation in the UK about accountability, national security, and moral responsibility. As the Afghan crisis fades from headlines, this revelation has reignited debate over how Britain supports its wartime allies and manages the consequences of military withdrawal.
In the end, while the secret resettlement effort may have saved many lives, it also laid bare the fragile systems meant to protect them—and raised critical questions about trust, responsibility, and transparency in government.