Taliban Refutes Claims of Detaining Afghans Following UK Data Leak Incident
In a dramatic turn of events, the British government has disclosed a covert resettlement plan for thousands of Afghans who worked with British forces, following a 2022 data leak that compromised the identities of around 19,000 Afghans who had applied to resettle in the UK.
The plan, known as the Afghan Response Route, was initiated in April 2022, after it was revealed that the Taliban authorities could potentially obtain the leaked data, putting these individuals at risk of harassment, torture, or even death. As of now, approximately 900 Afghans and around 3,600 of their family members have been relocated to Britain or are in transit.
An independent review found that there was little evidence to suggest the leaked data would significantly increase the risk of reprisals from the Taliban for those nearly 20,000 Afghans. However, the resettlement program was initiated to protect those deemed to be at the highest risk.
The resettlement program was initially kept under wraps due to a superinjunction, but this was lifted under the current Labour government, allowing the program to be made public. The program is estimated to have cost £850 million.
The Taliban's response to the resettlement plan is not documented in the recent disclosures. However, the program's inception indicates ongoing concerns about the Taliban's actions against individuals who worked with British forces.
Former prime minister Liz Truss, who was foreign secretary at the time of the breach in February 2022, described the situation as a "huge betrayal of public trust" and called for accountability. Former veterans minister Johnny Mercer also claimed to have "receipts" regarding the former Conservative administration's actions in relation to Kabul.
The Taliban government has denied the allegations, claiming that all former employees had been pardoned. However, they have imposed a severe interpretation of Islamic law, banning women and girls from most education and jobs.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) reported credible human rights violations by the Taliban authorities against hundreds of former government officials and ex-armed forces members between August 15, 2021, and June 30, 2023. These violations include extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, and enforced disappearances.
The Afghanistan Response Route has cost about £400 million so far, with an estimated cost of £850 million once completed. Millions more are expected to be paid in legal costs and compensation. The Taliban's Foreign Ministry has stated they have neither arrested nor monitored Afghans involved in the secret British resettlement plan.
Thousands of Afghans who worked with the UK were brought to Britain with their families in a secret programme after the data breach in 2022. The former Conservative UK ministers are defending their record regarding the Afghan data leak that resulted in an unprecedented superinjunction.
[1] Source: The Guardian, The Telegraph, BBC News
- The British government's policy-and-legislation on resettling Afghans who worked with British forces was implemented due to war-and-conflicts and possible reprisals from the Taliban, as revealed by a data leak in 2022.
- The news of a covert resettlement program, known as the Afghan Response Route, has been followed by general-news outlets, and it was initially kept under wraps due to politics and legal restrictions represented by a superinjunction.
- The European news landscape is currently discussing the ongoing concerns about the Taliban's actions against individuals who worked with British forces, as indicated by the inception of the Afghan Response Route.
- In the realm of crime-and-justice and human rights, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) has reported credible violations against former government officials and ex-armed forces members, raising alarm and prompting the need for continued discussion about the safety of working with foreign powers in conflict zones.
