Former Taliban fighters were allegedly among those brought to the UK for their safety following the Afghan data leak.
Former Taliban fighters are currently living in the UK after being airlifted from Afghanistan by British planes because their names were on a leaked list of Afghans who had applied to come to the UK, The Telegraph reports.
It comes after LBC reported that around 4,500 people have been brought to the UK after a data leak where more than 18,000 applicants to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) – a scheme set up to offer sanctuary in the UK to Afghans who supported British military operations – had their names and contact details, email addresses and phone numbers leaked.
The Ministry of Defence sought and was granted a contra mundum superinjunction — a rare legal order that not only barred publication of the story of the breach, but also prevented anyone from revealing that an injunction even existed.
Between 80,000 and 100,000 people, including the estimated number of family members of the ARAP applicants, were affected by the breach and could be at risk of harassment, torture or death if the Taliban obtained their data, judges said in June 2024.
The breach also saw the establishment of a secret scheme, the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR), to bring some of those affected to the UK.
Senior sources in Afghanistan said the evacuation process of those affected by the leak was infiltrated by people with connections to the Taliban, who exploited the system so Taliban fighters could come to the UK, according to the Telegraph.
“We had civilians in our office who had clear ties with the Taliban,” one Afghan official told The Telegraph.
“They were taken to Britain and then introduced fighters as family members and brought them to Britain … some people on the evacuation list named people with clear ties to the Taliban and introduced Taliban people as cousins, and they are in Britain.”
Sources said corrupt Afghan officials helped Taliban fighters evacuate to the UK, and said British personnel trusting the corrupt officials for consultation and recommendations led to the inclusion of Taliban-connected individuals on evacuation lists.
The Telegraph said it was given the names of four Taliban sympathisers who have allegedly come to the UK under resettlement schemes.
One man allegedly arranged for several Taliban-linked family members to come with him to the UK. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the man was living in Britain.
Another man who spent four years in prison for stealing and selling Coalition weapons to the Taliban before being released in the Taliban takeover of Kabul is also currently living in the UK, the MoD confirmed.
In total, the Government expects 6,900 people to be brought to the UK under the ARR scheme, with costs reaching £850 million.
Along with the Afghan nationals, the breach saw details of more than 100 British officials compromised, including special forces and MI6 personnel.
