Westminster has been rocked by revelations of a clandestine Home Office operation that bypassed standard security protocols to rapidly resettle Afghan nationals in Britain. Two separate parliamentary inquiries are now underway following explosive claims that the secret programme may have compromised national security.
Operation Warm Welcome Under Fire
The controversial scheme, implemented during the chaotic 2021 Kabul evacuation, allegedly allowed thousands of Afghans to enter the UK without undergoing proper vetting procedures. Senior Conservative backbenchers have expressed grave concerns after whistleblowers revealed that biometric data checks were routinely waived.
Security Breaches Exposed
Documents obtained by investigators show that:
- Over 5,000 Afghan evacuees were processed without full security screening
- Biometric data matching was frequently skipped due to "technical difficulties"
- Several individuals with potential Taliban links may have entered the country
Home Office insiders claim the rushed operation was a direct response to political pressure following the Taliban takeover. "We were told to prioritise speed over security," one official disclosed anonymously.
Cross-Party Outrage
The scandal has united MPs across the political spectrum. Labour's shadow home secretary described the revelations as "a shocking dereliction of duty," while senior Tories have demanded accountability from Home Office leadership.
The twin investigations by the Home Affairs Committee and National Security Strategy Committee are expected to:
- Establish who authorised the security shortcuts
- Determine how many potential security risks entered the UK
- Recommend safeguards for future emergency resettlement operations
Government sources maintain that all Afghan evacuees underwent "appropriate checks," but refused to comment on the specific allegations of procedural breaches.
