Afghan National Granted UK Entry After Exploiting Data Leak
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) offered to expedite the review of a rejected resettlement application for an Afghan national after he posted sensitive details from a leaked dataset on Facebook, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The individual published nine names from a list containing personal information of thousands of Afghans who had applied for relocation to the UK following the Taliban’s takeover. He also suggested he could release more data if his demands were not met.
The leaked information was accidentally sent from UK Special Forces (UKSF) headquarters in February 2022. British authorities later tracked down the man and urged him to remove the data, offering to reconsider his previously denied resettlement application in exchange
Reports indicate the man is now in the UK after his application was approved. He is not facing any criminal charges related to the incident. Government insiders described the situation as a form of blackmail, with the individual leveraging the leaked data to secure entry into the country.
When questioned about the case, the MoD declined to comment but emphasized that all individuals entering the UK under Afghan relocation schemes undergo stringent security checks.
Former veterans minister Johnny Mercer, who was aware of the incident due to his prior role, described the data breach as emblematic of the "chaos" surrounding the evacuation process.
“He posted the names on Facebook and essentially pressured the MoD to let him into the country. They fast-tracked his case, and suddenly he was here,” Mercer stated. “This was one of multiple leaks—it shows how poorly managed the system was at the time.”
The breach occurred when a UKSF official mistakenly emailed a comprehensive list of nearly 19,000 Afghan applicants to an unauthorized recipient. The data was later shared with individuals in Afghanistan, where one rejected applicant posted excerpts online.
Concerns were raised in August 2023 when an MoD caseworker warned that Taliban access to the information would be "bone-chilling." The leaked data pertained to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap), a scheme designed to protect Afghans who had supported British forces.
In response, the previous government established a secret £850 million emergency resettlement program, relocating approximately 4,500 Afghans to the UK so far, with plans for an additional 2,400.
The UKSF official responsible for the leak is no longer in their position, though it remains unclear whether they faced disciplinary action. Defence Secretary John Healey issued a public apology, calling the incident a "serious departmental error."
Legal experts have criticized the government’s failure to safeguard sensitive data, describing it as a "catastrophic failure" that endangered vulnerable individuals.