A covert UK government evacuation programme for Afghan nationals has come to light, following the lifting of a super-injunction related to a catastrophic Ministry of Defence data breach that exposed thousands of allies to Taliban reprisals.
The effort, known internally as 'Operation Rubicon' or the 'Afghan Response Route' (ARR), has already seen up to 20,000 Afghans relocated to the UK, with many being transported on taxpayer-funded flights.
The Afghan Response Route (ARR) was launched in April 2024 after officials discovered that sensitive personal information of nearly 19,000 Afghans who had assisted British forces had been compromised.
Data Leak Sparked Urgent Action
In February 2022, a Ministry of Defence official mistakenly shared an internal database spreadsheet containing sensitive personal details of nearly 19,000 Afghan nationals who had applied for relocation under the UK's Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), many of whom had supported British forces.
The breach of the highly sensitive database went undetected until August 2023, when its existence was first revealed in a private Facebook group.
The government estimates suggest that as many as 100,000 individuals, including applicants and their extended family members, may have been put at risk.
The breach exposed names, contact details, and locations of individuals to unauthorised recipients, raising fears the Taliban could use it to identify collaborators.
Following the major data breach, the UK government launched a covert evacuation scheme formally known as the Afghan Response Route (ARR) in April 2024.
Media outlets have referred to this operation as 'Operation Rubicon,' though that name has not been officially confirmed.
To keep the operation and the breach out of the public eye, the government secured a super-injunction in 2023, legally preventing any reporting on either the leaked data or the existence of ARR.
This court order remained in effect until July 2025, when it was lifted, finally allowing the full scope of the breach and the secret relocation programme to be made public.
What Is the Afghan Response Route (ARR)?
The Afghan Response Route (ARR) is a secretive UK government programme launched in April 2024 to relocate Afghan nationals whose lives were placed in danger following a major Ministry of Defence (MoD) data breach.
As of July 2025, government statements confirm that around 4,500 individuals, comprising approximately 900 principal applicants and 3,600 dependents, have either arrived in the UK or are currently in transit under ARR.
Court documents and parliamentary disclosures indicate that up to 20,000 Afghan nationals may eventually require resettlement under ARR or similar initiatives, though not all have yet been relocated.
Mounting Financial Costs
The Ministry of Defence has estimated that immediate costs related to evacuation and short-term support for Afghan evacuees amount to approximately £400 million to £850 million.
Internal government documents have warned that the lifetime cost of the relocation programme, including housing, welfare, and legal compensation, could reach up to £7 billion.
However, ministers have since noted that this figure is an upper-bound projection and may not reflect actual spending.
Schemes Now Closed
The Afghan Response Route and related ARAP and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) routes were officially closed to new applications on 1 July 2025, leaving over 22,000 applicants in limbo, according to migration rights groups.
Legal Action Underway
According to Financial Times, at least 665 Afghans affected by the 2022 data breach are pursuing legal claims against the Ministry of Defence, seeking compensation of £50,000 per person, citing the threat to their lives and families resulting from the exposure.
Fearing the Taliban could exploit the leaked information to identify and target collaborators, ministers authorised the emergency evacuation scheme whilst simultaneously obtaining a super-injunction to prevent any public reporting.
The legal gagging order, secured in 2023, banned media coverage of both the data breach and the rescue operation until its expiry in July 2025.
The ARR programme has operated entirely in the shadows, with taxpayer-funded flights quietly transporting thousands of at-risk Afghans to British soil. The operation's existence and scale have only now come to light following the lifting of the court order.
Future Uncertain for Thousands
While 'Operation Rubicon' successfully relocated thousands, critics argue that closing the legal routes amid ongoing danger leaves vulnerable Afghans with few safe options. Human rights groups have urged the government to reopen pathways or offer alternative protection measures.
The MoD has yet to provide full details about how such a significant security breach occurred or why it took so long to identify. Questions also remain about the total cost of the evacuation programme and the long-term plans for resettling those brought to the UK under emergency circumstances.
The incident represents one of the most serious data protection failures in recent government history, with potentially lethal consequences for those whose information was exposed to hostile forces.
