Thousands of Afghans affected by a UK government data breach are not expected to receive any compensation — even though some now fear retaliation from the Taliban.
More than 19,000 names and personal details were accidentally leaked in February 2022, putting many individuals at potential risk. While over 36,000 Afghans have since been relocated to the UK, more than 16,000 were identified as being directly affected by the breach, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) told the BBC.
However, the MoD has made it clear that it will not offer compensation or settle claims, calling them “hypothetical.” Instead, it says it will “robustly defend against any legal action.” The MoD also has no plans to issue small or symbolic payments to those impacted.
The leak occurred when a spreadsheet containing sensitive information was mistakenly emailed to someone outside the UK government’s Afghan relocation team. The breach remained unknown until August 2023, when nine names surfaced on Facebook.
A review, led by independent investigator Charles Rimmer, concluded that it is “highly unlikely that simply being named in the document would result in targeting by the Taliban.” Defence Secretary John Healey subsequently lifted a court-issued super-injunction that had previously blocked any public discussion of the breach.
Despite the MoD’s stance, legal firm Barings Law is preparing what could be the largest lawsuit of its kind, representing over 1,000 Afghan clients — although it’s unclear how many are still inside Afghanistan.
The Taliban remains largely unrecognized on the global stage due to its human rights abuses, particularly against women. Only Russia has formally recognized the current government in Kabul. The UK embassy in Afghanistan has been closed since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Meanwhile, the UK government has spent around £400 million on relocation efforts so far, with total costs expected to reach up to £6 billion.
