The details of more than 100 British people - including spies and special forces - were included in a massive data leak that resulted in thousands of Afghans being secretly relocated to the UK. Defence sources have said that details of MI6 spies, SAS and special forces personnel were included in the spreadsheet, after they had endorsed Afghans who had applied to be brought to the UK.
The dataset, containing the personal information of nearly 19,000 people who applied for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap), was released “in error” in February 2022 by a defence official. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) became aware of the breach more than a year later, when excerpts of the spreadsheet were anonymously posted in a Facebook group in August 2023.
Other details leaked included the names and contact details of the Arap applicants and names of their family members.
In a statement on Tuesday, after an unprecedented superinjunction was lifted by a High Court judge, Defence Secretary John Healey offered a “sincere apology” on behalf of the British Government for the data breach.
He later told the Commons the spreadsheet contained “names and contact details of applicants and, in some instances, information relating to applicants’ family members, and in a small number of cases the names of members of Parliament, senior military officers and Government officials were noted as supporting the application”.
“This was a serious departmental error,” he added.
Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge also apologised on behalf of the former Conservative government, which was in power when the leak happened and when it was discovered more than a year later.
Mr Cartlidge later asked Mr Healey about reports that someone other than the original person who leaked the data had been engaged in blackmail.
The Sun has reported that awyers acting for the Ministry of Defence have gone to court on Thursday to defend a second injunction connected to the leak.
The injunction is said to concern the identities of British nationals – including MPs, Special Forces and spies – whose details were part of the leak.
At the opening of the hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice today MoD lawyers requested a hearing behind closed doors.
Mr Justice Chamberlain said he would be “scrutinising very carefully any justification for holding any parts of this hearing in private, never mind in closed”.
he superinjunction which lifted on Tuesday was the first time the government had used one to gag the press.
It also prevented the government from telling parliament of top secret air lift mission that flew 4,500 Afghan migrants to Britain and is expected to cost almost £1bn.
