The UK government has confirmed it will not compensate thousands of Afghans whose personal details were exposed in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) data breach. Leaving many still fearing for their lives.
Almost 19,000 people who applied to relocate to the UK after the Taliban’s takeover in 2021 were affected by the February 2022 leak. While some have since been evacuated, many remain in Afghanistan.
What happened in the MOD Afghan data breach?
In February 2022, an MoD official mistakenly emailed a spreadsheet containing names, contact details and case information of Afghan nationals applying under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme.
- This error exposed former interpreters, soldiers, and even family members who had worked alongside British forces, many of whom were already Taliban targets.
- The breach was discovered after nine names appeared on Facebook in August 2023.
- The breach stayed secret for years due to a super-injunction.
- British officials, including special forces and MI6 members, were also compromised.
Government response
The Ministry of Defence told the BBC it will robustly defend against any legal action or compensation claim, dismissing potential lawsuits as “hypothetical”. Reports also confirm the MoD will not issue small, proactive payouts to those at risk because of the leak.
They argue that it is unlikely that simply appearing on the spreadsheet would increase the risk of Taliban reprisals. However, for families still hiding in Afghanistan, that’s little reassurance.
One Afghan, told the media his relatives, whose names appeared on the leaked list, are “moving home to home” and “keeping low profiles” to stay alive.
Legal challenges are mounting
With the government refusing any form of compensation, law firms are preparing major group actions on behalf of those affected:
- One firm has confirmed it represents over 1,000 Afghan clients.
- Another is investigating claims and expects payouts could run into thousands per person, with higher compensation likely for those still trapped in Afghanistan.
If your data was exposed in this breach, we’ll help you find out if you could be eligible for compensation, and if so, connect you with a specialist legal team at no cost to you.
