Catastrophic Data Loss Puts Lives in Immediate Danger
A devastating Afghan data breach within the UK government, described by MPs as a ‘farrago of errors and missteps’, placed an estimated 100,000 people at risk of death, a parliamentary inquiry has concluded. The catastrophic failure saw the Ministry of Defence lose a confidential database containing the details of Afghans who had assisted British forces, leaving them exposed to potential reprisal attacks from Taliban revenge squads.
Secret Courts and a Multi-Billion Pound Cover-Up
When the Daily Mail uncovered the scandal in 2023, the Government responded by obtaining a super-injunction, a draconian court order that threatened journalists with jail if they revealed the breach or even the existence of the gagging order. This triggered a 23-month legal battle in secret courts. It was only in July of this year that the Government abandoned its attempt to suppress the truth, revealing that ministers had secretly agreed to a £7 billion scheme, including a mass evacuation programme named Operation Rubific.
The inquiry by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) heavily criticised the decision to keep Parliament and the public in the dark for two years. Shockingly, even when ministers met in secret in October 2024 to sign off on the enormous expenditure, they failed to inform the very committee responsible for scrutinising public spending.
A History of Failures and a Lack of Confidence
The committee's report laid bare a history of poor data management within the MoD. The sensitive information had been stored on basic Excel files instead of a secure, specialised data management system. This was not an isolated incident; the MoD was aware of the risks but allowed dozens of data breaches to occur over the years.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Chairman of the PAC, stated: "The Ministry of Defence knew what it was doing - it knew the risks of using inadequate systems... These risks crystallised into dozens of data breaches over years, and ultimately resulted in the 2022 breach, presenting a grave risk to thousands of lives." He added, "I take no pleasure... in stating now that we lack confidence in the MoD’s current ability to prevent such an incident happening again."
The National Audit Office (NAO) also condemned the MoD's handling of the affair, accusing defence chiefs of being unable to explain the mammoth costs to taxpayers. The number of people resettled in the UK under the scheme could be as high as 27,278 individuals—nearly four thousand more than initially expected.
In response, the Ministry of Defence stated that the 2022 incident "should never have happened" and claimed it is making improvements, such as introducing a dedicated casework system. It also asserted that the overall financial cost was never concealed, estimating the airlift's cost at £850 million.
