MPs have vowed to “thoroughly investigate” the government data breach that put the lives of nearly 100,000 Afghans at risk of being killed by the Taliban.
The defence secretary apologised to those affected as he addressed the Commons on Tuesday, after it was revealed the Ministry of Defence used a gagging order to cover up the leak.
The chairman of the defence committee, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, branded the situation a “mess” as he told the house he and his colleagues would “thoroughly investigate” the matter.
The leak happened in February 2022 after a member of the armed forces shared the details of thousands of Afghans who had applied for sanctuary in Britain following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021.
The government was granted an unprecedented superinjunction, which banned the media from reporting on the leak, amid fears the information could fall into the hands of the Taliban.
Ministers also approved the spending of billions on the largest covert evacuation in modern history as 16,000 at-risk Afghans were secretly brought to the UK under a cover story.
The full details can only now be disclosed after a legal battle involving The Independent and other media outlets, who challenged the order.
Key Points
- Catastrophic data breach that put up to 100,000 lives at risk finally revealed
- What was the leak and how did it happen?
- What we know about the superinjunction
- Largest covert peacetime evacuation in British history sparked by data leak
- My court fight to lift superinjunction and expose government’s secret failings
MoD could face ‘substantial’ compensation claims over data breach, lawyer says
15:56 , Athena StavrouThe Government could face “strong claims for substantial compensation” from those affected by a massive data breach of the personal information of Afghans who supported British forces, a lawyer has said.
The Government originally outlined plans to launch a compensation scheme for those affected by the breach, with an estimated cost of between £120 and £350 million, not including administration expenses.
Hundreds of data protection legal challenges are also expected.
Sean Humber, a specialist data breach lawyer at law firm Leigh Day, who acts for Afghan citizens affected by previous data breaches of their personal data by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), said: “Given the extreme sensitivity of the information and the numbers affected, plus the vulnerability of those affected due to the dangers they already face from the Taliban, this data breach can only be described as catastrophic.”
“Those affected are likely to have strong claims for substantial compensation against the Government for failing to keep the information secure and for inevitable anxiety, fear and distress this has then caused.”
The number of Afghans evacuated explained:
15:29 , Athena StavrouYou may have seen some differing numbers across news outlets and from the government today.
In total, 23,900 Afghans linked to the breach have been offered relocation to the UK, with more than 16,000 already in the UK.
Of these, the MoD says 6,900 of those are people who would not have otherwise been brought to Britain had the leak not have happened.
Around 4,500 people of the 6,900 figure have been brought to the UK or are in transit so far through the Afghanistan Response Route.
This is made up of 900 Arap applicants and approximately 3,600 family members.
Why was this superinjunction unprecedented?
15:12 , Athena StavrouThis superinjunction was granted ‘contra mundum’. Contra mundum, Latin for ‘against the world’, means it is applied to anyone and everyone.
The effect is that a person could be found in contempt of court if they shared any information about the injunction, whether or not they are participating in the proceedings.
There has been previous use of contra mundum injunctions, but High Court judges believed this to be the first contra mundum superinjunction.
This is also believed to be the first superinjunction granted to the British government.
'Afghans protected us and they deserved our protection in return'
15:04 , Athena StavrouDr Sara de Jong, co-founder of The Sulha Alliance, a charity helping former Afghans who supported the British, who has known about the breach since August 2023, said: "It is a horrible irony that the UK Government had to save Afghans from their own data blunder, instead of prioritising those who are the Taliban's prime target.
"The vast amount of resource to cover up this error, could have been much better spent. For example, we see inexcusable delays in processing applications for family members at severe risk and many injured interpreters never received compensation.”
She added: “While this data breach was the most severe and most recent, it is not the first time that the safety of Afghans has been compromised by the UK Government. These Afghans protected us and they deserved our protection in return.”
Human rights lawyers call breach a 'catastrophic failure'
14:54 , Athena StavrouFollowing Mr Justice Chamberlain lifting the superinjunction, Erin Alcock, a human rights lawyer at law firm Leigh Day, who has previously assisted hundreds of Arap applicants and family members, said that there had been “rumours circulating of an incident of this kind for some time”.
She said: “The news today is extremely concerning.
“We have been aware of rumours circulating of an incident of this kind for some time and have been concerned about any potential risks posed to our clients, particularly those remaining in Afghanistan.
“Sadly, this incident represents a catastrophic failure by the Government to protect the personal information, and therefore the safety, of what is an extremely vulnerable group of individuals.
“We will be urgently seeking clarification as to which of our many clients may have been affected and confirmation that all necessary precautions have and will be taken to mitigate any risk of harm to them.”
Healey 'deeply concerned' about lack of transparency around breach
14:46 , Athena StavrouJohn Healey told MPs he had felt “deeply concerned about the lack of transparency” around the data breach.
The Defence Secretary told the Commons: “No government wishes to withhold information from the British public, from parliamentarians or the press in this manner.”
He later said: “The full number of Afghan arrivals under all schemes have been reported in the regular Home Office statistics, meaning that they are already counted in the existing migration figures.”
Superinjunction resulted in 'scrutiny vacuum', judge says
14:36 , Athena StavrouReading a summary of his judgment in court, Mr Justice Chamberlain noted that the grant of the superinjunction had “given rise to serious free speech concerns”.
He added: “The superinjunction had the effect of completely shutting down the ordinary mechanisms of accountability which operate in a democracy.
“This led to what I describe as a ‘scrutiny vacuum’.”
Watch: Inside the secret scramble to save lives after MoD data breach
14:25 , Athena StavrouHealey questions finished
14:05 , Athena StavrouThe defence secretary has now finished taking questions on the MoD data breach that was revealed today.
John Healey addressed MPs just 30 minutes after the superinjunction was lifted by the High Court on Tuesday.
He began with saying it was ‘deeply uncomfortable’ to be unable to share details of the issue with parliament.
He went on to explain how the data breach happened and what steps were being taken now.
My court fight to lift superinjunction and expose government’s secret failings
13:56 , Athena StavrouThe Independent’s social affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft was one of a handful of journalists who knew about a catastrophic Ministry of Defence data leak – but an unprecedented legal order meant it could not be revealed.
For two years, they battled to lift the draconian measures.
Read about Holly Bancroft’s fight to lift the superinjunction here:
My court fight to lift superinjunction and expose government’s secret failings
Tory MP says the argument for secrecy was 'very thin’
13:51 , Athena StavrouThe Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
Tory MP Mark Pritchard has become the first MP to hit out at the elephant in the room.
“I detect some wriggling,” he said.
He was angered that the minister is “justifying the superinjunction” not telling the press, public and “unbelievably” those affected by the data breach.
He warned that the argument for a superinjunction is “very thin because even the MoD admits that Taliban aligned individuals already had access to the database.”
Mr Pritchard warned: “The precedent of a superinjunction is very concerning for this place. How do we know there is not another superinjunction about another leak. But of course he could not tell us, could he?”
John Healey says he has not been read into any other superinjunctions.
But admits that having a superinjunction was “in many ways unconscionable”.
He repeats that the decisions have been “difficult” but necessary.
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Healey 'confident' of reduced risk of future data breaches
13:46 , Athena StavrouDefence secretary John Healey said “one can never say never”, but added that he is “confident” in the reduced risk of future data breaches.
This came in response to Liberal Democrat defence spokeswoman Helen Maguire, who said: “Can the minister confirm what steps have been taken to address the root cause of this breach and to ensure that it cannot happen again?”
Mr Healey replied: “One can never say never, but one can, and I am more confident than I was 12 months ago about the reduced risk of data losses and data breaches in future.”
He added: “The estimated full costs of all Afghan schemes, that will run to their completion, from start to finish, because of the savings derived from the policy decisions we have taken today will be between £5.5 billion and £6 billion.
“The cost of the ARR (Afghanistan Response Route) scheme to date, the cost and the sums committed to bring the 900 principals and their immediate families that are in Britain or in transit is around £400 million, and I expect a similar sum to be the cost of those still to come.”
Watch: Defence secretary admits MoD ‘serious departmental error’
13:41 , Athena StavrouMPs to 'thoroughly' investigate 'mess' of data breach
13:38 , Athena StavrouThe Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
The issue is not set to rest as MPs digest the revelations about the data breach and subsequent use of a superinjunction to cover it up.
Defence select committee chairman Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, a Labour MP, has announced that his committee now plans to “thoroughly investigate” what has happened.
Mr Dhesi branded it “a mess” that needs to be thoroughly examined.
Defence secretary John Healey has welcomed the committee holding an inquiry arguing that select committees are better able to look into these issues than many public inquiries.
Labour MP who served in Afghanistan close to tears
13:27 , Athena StavrouThe Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
An emotional Louise Jones, Labour MP for North East Derbyshire, who served in Afghanistan was close to tears as she responded in the House to John Healey’s statement.
She served in the country in 2017 and said that even back then she “could see what was going to happen” in terms of the eventual chaotic withdrawal from the country in 2022.
She wants the government to ensure that the Afghans affected are now properly looked after and protected.
Cartilage says that without the superinjunction there would have been serious consequences
13:17 , Athena StavrouThe Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
Tory shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge, as a former defence minister, is not just speaking on behalf of the opposition but of the previous government in charge when the breach happened.
He explains the superinjunction as being to prevent “an appalling and terrifying scenario” of Afghans on the list being captured and tortured.
He notes that when he and other ministers then learnt about the breach “we did not have the luxury of six months of reflection.”
He claimed that the government then had a duty of care for which they had to act.
He notes that the Rimmer review acknowledges that had the Taliban got its hands on the list then it could have resulted in “serious” consequences for those on it.
Not surprisingly there is a lot of cross party agreement here and mutual support on the decisions made.
Shadow secretary backs government apology for data breach
13:15 , Athena StavrouShadow defence secretary James Cartlidge, who was a minister in August 2023 when the then-government became aware of the data breach, joined the minister in apologising for what happened.
Mr Cartlidge said: “The Secretary of State has issued an apology on behalf of the Government and I join him in that and in recognising that this data leak should never have happened and was an unacceptable breach of all relevant data protocols.
“And I agree it is right that an apology is issued specifically to those whose data was compromised.
“It is nevertheless a fact that cannot be ignored that, when this breach came to light, the immediate priority of the then-government was to avoid a very specific and terrible scenario, namely, an error by an official of the British state leading to torture or even murder of persons in the dataset at the hands of what remains a brutal Taliban regime.
“As the Rimmer Review confirms that scenario, thankfully, appears to have been avoided.”
Resettlement scheme ends - but invitations to relocate will be honours
13:05 , Athena StavrouSpeaking in the Commons today, the defence secretary said the resettlement scheme for Afghan people affected by the breach will be closed.
He said 908 people arrived under the scheme, called the Afghan Response Route.
600 invitations that have already been offered to people affected will still be honoured.
'I've spent many hours thinking about this decision': Healey said
13:01 , Athena StavrouThe defence secretary finished his statement to the house.
He issued an apology to those affected by the data breach on behalf on the British government.
He said: “I would have wanted to settle these matters sooner because full accountability to parliament and freedom of the press matter deeply to me. They are fundamental to our British way of life.
“I’ve spent many hours thinking about this decision. Thinking about the safety and the lives of people I will never meet in a far off land in which 457 of our servicemen and women lost their lives.”
Healey explains how the data breach happens
12:54 , Athena StavrouSpeaking to MPs in the Commons now, the defence secretary was able to explain the details of the major data breach.
He described how in January 2022 an official at the MoD believed they were sending a spreadsheet relating to 150 people, but this dataset actually included information about over 18,000 people.
The government then became aware some 18 months later when the names of some people were found on a Facebook group.
He said the Met Police were alerted but decided no criminal investigation was necessary.
Healey: It was 'deeply uncomfortable' to be unable to share details of breach with MPs
12:49 , Athena StavrouAs he addressed parliament, the defence secretary began his statement by explaining how he himself was subject to the superinjunction.
He said: “Members this house, including you Mr Speaker and myself, have been subject to this superinjuction. It is unprecedented.”
He said ministers decided not to inform MPs because the “widespread publicity would increase the risk of the Taliban obtaining the dataset”.
He said: “It has been deeply uncomfortable to be constrained from reporting to this house and I’m grateful today to be able to disclose the details to parliament.”
John Healey addressing parliament
12:42 , Athena StavrouThe defence secretary has begun addressing MPs after a major MoD data breach was revealed after a superinjuction was lifted.
He said it has been “uncomfortable” for him to be unable to disclose the details of the breach to parliament.
Defence secretary at time of breach responds to lifting of superinjunction
12:40The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
Ben Wallace, who was defence secretary at the time of the data breach, has pointed out that he had left his position by the time the superinjunction was sought by the government.
He has declined to comment noting that he has not been briefed by his former department on the outcome.
Watch live: John Healey addresses MPs after MoD data breach putting up to 100,000 lives at risk revealed
12:36 , Athena StavrouDefence secretary to address MPs
12:31 , Athena StavrouThe government is expected to address parliament shortly after it was revealed a data breach put 100,000 lives at risk.
Defence secretary John Healey is expected to speak in the Commons soon.
We will bring you the latest here.
Judge demands answers over MoD data leak gagging order
12:24 , Athena StavrouLifting the superinjunction on Tuesday, High Court Judge Mr Justice Chamberlain called for further investigation after an official review into the data leak “fundamentally undermined the evidential basis” on which the superinjunction had been based.
In January 2025, the former deputy head of Defence Intelligence Paul Rimmer was commissioned to review the government’s approach, leading to a report that would blow holes in their legal case.
It would conclude that as the Taliban already had access to "significant volumes of data” to identify targets and the leaked dataset would be a “piece of the puzzle” rather than a “smoking gun”.
The official review of the leak, commissioned in January 2025, warned the government may have made the dataset more appealing to the Taliban by creating the special evacuation scheme and slapping the media with a superinjunction.
What are the main takeaways?
12:17 , Athena StavrouAs the catastrophic breach is finally made public, it can be revealed:
- The government was prepared to evacuate more than 42,000 people affected by the data leak at an estimated cost of £7bn
- At least 17 people on the dataset are believed to have been killed by the Taliban, 14 of these after the leak occurred
- The official review of the leak, commissioned in January 2025, warned the government may have made the dataset more appealing to the Taliban by creating the special evacuation scheme and slapping the media with a superinjunction
- The MoD is facing a compensation claim from more than 650 Afghans who believe they are affected by the breach, which could cost hundreds of millions of pounds
Largest covert peacetime evacuation in British history sparked by data leak
12:13 , Athena StavrouMore than 16,000 Afghans were evacuated to the UK after the data leak which put their lives at risk.
With fears the list of names and information could fall into the Taliban’s hands, the UK launched the largest covert peacetime evacuation in British history.
The operation is estimated by the government to cost billions.
It was kept secret from MPs and the public as ministers even decided to hide the true reason for the evacuation from parliament.
What was the leak and how did it happen?
12:06 , Athena StavrouThe leaked spreadsheet contained the confidential contact information for applicants to the Ministry of Defence’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap), a scheme for Afghans who supported British troops.
The database contained the details of 18,800 Afghan applicants, as well as some of their family’s names.
It contained names of applicants, their fathers’ names, email addresses, phone numbers, and their case status.
The database was shared twice in February 2022 by a member of the armed forces, who was trying to verify applications to the resettlement scheme.
The breach was only discovered in August 2023 when an “anonymous member” of a Facebook group posted part of the database online.
Read full story here:
From superinjunction to secret rescue, secret scramble to save lives after MoD breach
What we know about the superinjunction
12:05 , Athena StavrouThe Afghan data breach superinjunction was lifted by Mr Justice Chamberlain at 12pm on Tuesday, July 15.
He made the decision to lift the order after defence secretary John Healey came to the view it was no longer necessary.
The superinjunction had been granted on 1 September 2023 meaning it was in place for more than 21 months.
This superinjunction was granted ‘contra mundum’. Contra mundum, Latin for ‘against the world’, means it is applied to anyone and everyone.
The effect is that a person could be found in contempt of court if they shared any information about the injunction, whether or not they are participating in the proceedings.
Superinjunctions: Draconian gagging orders used to keep information secret
Catastrophic data breach that put up to 100,000 lives at risk finally revealed
12:02 , Athena StavrouA data breach by the Ministry of Defence put up to 100,000 lives at risk and sparked the largest covert peacetime evacuation in British history – then was kept secret for almost two years by an unprecedented superinjunction gagging the British press, it can be revealed today.
The leak, in February 2022, exposed the details of thousands of Afghans who were seeking sanctuary in the UK, with fears the information could have fallen into the Taliban’s hands.
As a result, more than 16,000 Afghans were brought to the UK under an operation estimated to cost billions that was kept secret from MPs and the public as ministers even misled parliament to hide the true reason for the evacuation.
The extraordinary case can only now be revealed after a nearly two year court battle in which national media including The Independent fought for the lifting of the superinjunction, a court order so strict that even mentioning its existence is forbidden.
Read the full story here.
