A scathing parliamentary inquiry has exposed significant chaos and secrecy surrounding a secret British government scheme to airlift Afghans, revealing internal disputes among ministers and warning that vulnerable individuals who aided UK forces may face renewed danger. The report from the House of Commons Defence Committee condemns the use of a superinjunction to hide a devastating data breach and criticizes the Ministry of Defence's (MoD) mismanagement of immigration casework.
In August 2023, the Daily Mail revealed a breach of a database containing personal information of 100,000 Afghans who had applied for UK sanctuary. This leak, which occurred in 2022, put individuals, particularly interpreters who worked alongside British troops, at risk of retribution from the Taliban. Ministers subsequently obtained a superinjunction to prevent reporting on the matter, a situation that lasted nearly two years and was fought by media organizations.
Chaotic Administration and 'Fratricide'
The committee's 10-month investigation found that the MoD's handling of a top-secret immigration scheme to relocate Afghans was marred by "deeply troubling" chaos. Ministers approved approximately £7 billion of taxpayer money for the scheme without adequate scrutiny, shielded by the superinjunction that kept Parliament and the public in the dark. The MoD later revised this figure to around £6 billion.
As the clandestine operation expanded, inter-departmental conflicts, described as 'fratricide,' emerged as other Whitehall departments grappled with the costs of transporting, housing, and educating the influx of Afghans, as well as the strain on public services like GP surgeries.
Tan Dhesi MP, chairman of the Defence Committee, stated, "The Ministry of Defence should stick to defence – it should never have been left to run immigration casework schemes. Secrecy has been too easily used as a shield against proper accountability." The report found that no individual appeared to have been held personally accountable for the failures.
Renewed Danger for Afghans
Crucially, the MPs warned that Afghans, including interpreters who risked their lives assisting UK forces, are in danger of being "betrayed again." The committee criticized the government's recent decision to make it harder for these individuals to be rescued by requiring them to "self-move" out of Afghanistan. The report states this policy "risks becoming in practice an exclusion mechanism for eligible people who are too poor, too vulnerable or too exposed to travel independently."
Former interpreter Rafi Hottak, who gave evidence to the committee, reported that around 2,000 Afghans who worked with Western troops have been murdered by the Taliban. He argued that the policy forcing eligible Afghans to fund and arrange their own movement to a third country is impossible for many, particularly those who have spent years in hiding, lack employment or savings, and cannot safely obtain visas, flights, or accommodation without assistance.
Tahir, a former frontline interpreter in hiding in Afghanistan, shared his experience. Approved for relocation over a year ago, he was later told he must secure and pay for his family's escape without UK assistance, a cost he estimated at over $12,000 (£9,200) for his family. "It would cost us more than $12,000 (£9,200) to escape Afghanistan and then we would have to pay for accommodation in Tajikistan while we await approval for visas. We simply can't afford it," he said.
Lawyers assisting Afghans, such as Erin Alcock of Leigh Day, noted that clients are stranded and unable to afford the inflated costs of visas to travel to third countries, having patiently waited for assistance only to be told it is no longer coming.
Calls for Accountability and Reform
The Defence Committee's report labeled the project a "wider failure of governance," stemming from a "foreseeable systemic failure" in data protection, followed by "prolonged secrecy" and "administrative failures." The committee also criticized the government for withholding key documents, which hindered its ability to fully scrutinize an episode involving risks to life, significant public expenditure, and an unprecedented period of secrecy.
The inquiry recommended that the government learn from these events and publish a plan to protect the public interest if a similar superinjunction is considered in the future. The MPs also suggested that in such grave circumstances, the government should have explored providing confidential briefings to a wider group of parliamentarians.
An MoD spokesman acknowledged the incident should not have happened and recognized its significant impact. "Thousands of eligible Afghans have already been safely relocated to the UK, where they can rebuild their lives and we are committed to ensuring that we conclude the Afghan Resettlement Programme by the end of this Parliament," the spokesman said. The MoD stated that lessons are being learned, with reforms including improved data protection standards, strengthened case-working processes, and better program governance already in place. They welcomed the scrutiny to learn more and be held accountable.