The UK secretly resettled thousands of Afghans within its borders

The UK government revealed Tuesday the existence of a secret program through which thousands of Afghan citizens who collaborated with the country’s military were relocated to British territory along with their families. This came after a serious data leak exposed them to the risk of retaliation by the Taliban regime, which returned to power in 2021 following the chaotic withdrawal of U.S., British, and other NATO forces from Afghanistan, the Associated Press reported.

The operation, kept under wraps for more than a year, was launched in response to the accidental release in February 2022 of an electronic file containing personal information on nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied for asylum in the United Kingdom following the Taliban takeover. According to current British Defense Minister John Healey, the breach was "serious" and endangered human lives.

In testimony before the House of Commons, Healey revealed that the previous Conservative administration discovered the leak in August 2023 and, without making it public, launched an emergency operation to evacuate the most vulnerable individuals. In total, nearly 900 Afghans and 3,600 family members were relocated to the UK as part of an operation funded at approximately £2 billion.

The program was part of Britain’s efforts to honor commitments to former local partners following the 2021 troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, after nearly two decades of military presence that began in response to the September 11 attacks in New York. At the height of the conflict, the UK had deployed as many as 10,000 troops in Afghanistan.

Healey, who was briefed on the case in December 2023 while still in opposition, criticized the lack of transparency in handling the matter. On Tuesday, he also expressed discomfort about withholding this information from Parliament.

Labour's intervention

The program remained secret until July 2024, when the Labour Party took power and the new government ordered an independent review of the case.

According to the investigation—details of which were obtained by the Associated Press—there is little evidence that the data leak led to concrete retaliation by the Taliban. Nonetheless, Healey apologized for the breach and confirmed that the secret program is no longer active.

The revelation comes amid a sensitive political backdrop in the UK where the immigration debate has intensified and parties like Reform UK have gained ground in the polls, according to AP reports. The issue is expected to remain a key focus of the country’s political agenda in the coming months.