Lawyers representing thousands of Afghan refugees say some have been killed and others forced into hiding after a UK government data breach exposed their personal details. Barings Law, which is acting for about 1,000 victims, said the leak had created an immediate threat to the safety of those who aided British forces.
One man, identified only as Abdullah, said receiving the government's email informing him of the breach was "the worst day in all time". Speaking from hiding in Afghanistan, he said: "The people I trusted for my safety have now created this risk for me." Abdullah, who applied to come to the UK under the Afghan relocations and assistance policy (Arap), fears the Taliban will find and torture him.
Adnan Malik, head of data protection at Barings Law, said some individuals named on the leaked database had been killed in targeted attacks. "We are aware of incidents where there are individuals who are named on the list that they have been killed," he said, adding that the attacks appeared to target those known to have assisted UK armed forces. The firm is working with affected individuals on potential legal action.
Another Afghan, Ahmed, a former soldier who conducted operations with British troops, broke down when he realised his details were in the dataset. He had safely relocated to the UK, but his two younger brothers were shot dead at the Iranian border while trying to flee the Taliban. The leak included his Arap application number, which he had used to support his wider family's case. "I was very worried and I started crying," he said, pleading with the British government not to forget colleagues still in Afghanistan.
The government's warning email advised recipients to limit social media visibility and ignore unknown contacts, adding that family members' data may also have been compromised. Prof Sara de Jong of the Sulha Alliance, which supports former interpreters, called the breach "incredibly concerning", noting that the Ministry of Defence routinely collects the most sensitive personal data from Afghan applicants.
