The British government has secretly brought approximately 4,500 Afghans to the United Kingdom in recent years. They were in danger under the Taliban after their data was exposed due to a British data leak.
A special law prevented British media from reporting on the mission. This regulation expired on Tuesday, after which the news became public. Defense Minister John Healey shared more details about the operation.
The data leak occurred in 2022. A list containing the names of Afghans who worked for the British before the Taliban regained power in 2021 was accidentally released.
There were fears that the Taliban would take revenge, after which the British government decided to remove the affected individuals from Afghanistan. For safety reasons, this was done in secret.
Healey apologized in parliament on Tuesday for the leak. “This should never have happened,” he said. “It may have happened three years ago under the previous government, but I offer my sincere apologies to everyone whose data has been leaked.”
Operation costs British government an estimated 2 billion euros
The repatriation of the thousands of Afghans is estimated to cost the British government 2 billion euros. That amount may still increase, as there are still lawsuits against the government filed by people affected by the leak.
British soldiers were active in Afghanistan since 2001. From 2014, they played a limited role. In 2021, like most other foreigners, they left the country.