The Ministry of Defence has apologised and launched an investigation after a data breach exposed the email addresses of more than 250 Afghan interpreters who worked for British forces. The breach occurred when an email sent by the MoD’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) team mistakenly copied all recipients' email addresses into the 'To' field, making them visible to everyone.
Many of the interpreters are in hiding from the Taliban, which seized power in August 2021. The UK evacuated over 17,000 people in its largest refugee operation since World War II, but thousands of interpreters were left behind. The Arap email advised those still stranded that efforts were ongoing to bring them to safety, but the error has heightened fears for their security.
One interpreter told the BBC: “This mistake could cost the life of interpreters, especially for those who are still in Afghanistan. Some of the interpreters didn’t notice the mistake and they replied to all the emails already, explaining their situation, which is very dangerous. The email contains their profile pictures and contact details.”
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace described the breach as “unacceptable”. Former defence minister Johnny Mercer said the error would likely force interpreters to “move house again tonight”, and criticised the government’s handling of the relocation process. Shadow defence secretary John Healey called the breach “needlessly putting lives at risk” and urged the government to urgently bring the interpreters to the UK.
An MoD spokesperson said: “An investigation has been launched into a data breach of information from the Afghan Relocations Assistance Policy team. We apologise to everyone impacted by this breach and are working hard to ensure it does not happen again.” The department is offering advice to affected individuals on managing potential risks.
