Afghan data leak: Panic, a press gag and a secret relocation scheme

After the US and the Taliban signed a peace deal that saw all international troops leaving Afghanistan by May 2021, Britain promised to relocate those Afghans who had aided it in the war effort.

They had to apply to the Ministry of Defence for consideration. But then in 2022 the list was leaked – in an administrative error – making those on it targets for retribution by the Taliban. It’s thought that about 100,000 people were put at risk by the leak when wider family members were included.

A panicked reaction followed in 2023 when the list appeared on Facebook and a series of decisions were made by a small number of senior civil servants that were only revealed to parliament and the British public this week.

First a super-injunction was placed on the media and on anyone with knowledge of the leak leading to a blanket of secrecy.

Then the UK government set up a secret multibillion-pound scheme to bring Afghans to Britain.

The political fallout in the UK is ongoing as Mark Paul, Irish Times London correspondent, explains.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. 

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