The British government has quietly spent over £850 million ($1.1 billion) relocating Afghan nationals after a Ministry of Defence (MoD) data leak exposed thousands who had worked with UK forces, potentially placing their lives at risk under Taliban rule.
The breach occurred in February 2022, when an MoD official mistakenly sent a spreadsheet revealing the identities, locations, and personal details of up to 33,000 Afghan asylum seekers. Many had served as interpreters, guides, and contractors for British forces during NATO’s two-decade campaign in Afghanistan.
The leak remained undiscovered until 2023, when some of the data began circulating on Facebook, sparking fears that the Taliban could retaliate against those identified as collaborators. The breach may have endangered as many as 100,000 individuals, including family members.
To contain the crisis, the UK government enacted a media gag order, codenamed Operation Rubific, and launched the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR) – a covert program designed to fast-track the resettlement of those made vulnerable by the breach, even if they did not meet standard asylum criteria.
Defense Secretary John Healey confirmed this week that at least 4,500 individuals—including 900 principal applicants and 3,600 relatives—were relocated under the ARR at a cost of £400 million. He also noted that an additional 600 individuals and their families would be processed before the program is discontinued, bringing the total ARR cost to around £850 million.
However, a review cited by The Times suggested the real number of resettled individuals could be as high as 24,000, with many processed under other schemes.
Total costs for Afghan resettlement efforts may rise to £6 billion, with £2.7 billion already spent and at least £250 million expected in legal costs from pending lawsuits filed by those affected.
On Tuesday, a court lifted the secrecy order, prompting Healey to issue a formal apology in Parliament:
“This serious data incident should never have happened. I offer a sincere apology on behalf of the British Government.”
Healey emphasized the breach occurred under the previous administration and pledged reforms to prevent similar failures.