A shocking investigation has exposed a catastrophic failure within the Ministry of Defence, revealing that the highly sensitive personal data of Afghan citizens who risked their lives to assist British forces has been leaked a staggering 49 times in just four years.
The damning report from the National Audit Office (NAO) paints a picture of an institution in chaos, where the safety of vulnerable allies was treated with careless disregard. The breaches are linked to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), a scheme designed to offer sanctuary to those who worked alongside UK troops.
A Pattern of 'Reckless' Handling
The NAO's findings indicate this was not a single, isolated error but a consistent pattern of "reckless" and "shambolic" data handling. The leaked information included names, contact details, and, in some cases, profile pictures of applicants and their families—information that could easily fall into the hands of the Taliban, putting lives in immediate and extreme danger.
One of the most egregious incidents occurred in September 2022, when the MoD inadvertently revealed the email addresses of 245 Afghan applicants. Instead of using the 'Bcc' function to protect identities, all recipients were visible to one another, a basic error with potentially deadly consequences.
Outrage and Demands for Accountability
The revelations have sparked fury from veterans' groups, MPs, and rights organisations. They accuse the MoD of an unforgivable betrayal of those who served alongside British soldiers, often in the most dangerous combat situations.
Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey called the situation a "total disgrace," stating it had "severely let down" those who gave vital support to the UK mission. The repeated failures have shattered trust and left many feeling abandoned by the nation they served.
An Apology and a Promise of Change
In response to the scandal, the Ministry of Defence has issued a formal apology. A spokesperson acknowledged the severity of the failings, stating, "We apologise to everyone impacted by this breach and are committed to ensuring this does not happen again."
The department claims to have now implemented new training and technical safeguards to prevent future data leaks. However, for those whose safety has already been compromised, these promises offer little comfort, with many calling for a full independent inquiry into the MoD's culture of negligence.
