UK Ministers Vow to Repeat Afghan Superinjunction if Necessary Amidst Aid Row

British ministers have indicated they would employ similar secrecy measures, including superinjunctions, as were used during the Afghan airlift, even as a row escalates over thousands of individuals who served Britain and are still awaiting sanctuary.

Details emerged that the government employed an unprecedented legal gag order to conceal a data breach that inadvertently exposed approximately 100,000 Afghans to potential risk from the Taliban. Now, the Ministry of Defence has revealed that thousands of individuals, including frontline interpreters who aided British forces, have yet to reach safety and remain vulnerable to repris. A campaigner described the situation as "breaking my heart to have to tell them they are abandoned."

The Taliban, now governing Afghanistan, have intensified crackdowns on its citizens. Reports indicate that some individuals previously associated with British forces have been arrested, subjected to head shaving, and beaten.

The Commons Defence Select Committee has criticized the Ministry of Defence for disregarding recommendations from its earlier report. Despite government pledges to assist eligible Afghans, a requirement was added in April for them to "self-move" to another country within 12 months before seeking relocation to the UK. Senior MPs expressed "particular concern" that the government's response failed to outline clear steps for providing assistance.

Tan Dhesi MP, Chair of the Defence Committee, stated, "We are talking about people who risked their lives supporting British forces and who have already endured years of fear and uncertainty. Yet ministers still have not said clearly what help will be available to those who can't get themselves out of Afghanistan."

Some 3,000 Afghans who were approved for relocation to Britain due to threats they face have not received UK assistance for their escape. Many are struggling to afford visa fees for third countries, such as Tajikistan, which serves as a transit point. One individual, who worked with British forces and intelligence services, reported being asked to pay $10,000 (£7,400) for visas for his family, an amount he described as impossible to secure from his hiding place in Kabul.

The government's response to the committee's report suggested "early evidence showing that people can self-move and are making plans to." However, the MPs countered that a significant portion of Afghans offered British sanctuary have not yet managed to relocate "safely, lawfully or affordably" to a third country.

Professor Sara de Jong, a co-founder of the Sulha Alliance, which advocates for former military interpreters, shared her disappointment with the government's stance, stating, "The Government's response will only increase despair among Afghans who are accepted for relocation but can simply not safely, lawfully or affordably move to a third country."

The Defence Committee's year-long investigation followed a significant data leak by the MoD, which compromised the personal data of Afghans seeking sanctuary in the UK. This breach raised fears that the Taliban could target and kill individuals who had collaborated with British forces during the UK's two-decade involvement in Afghanistan.

Following the Daily Mail's discovery of the breach in August 2023, ministers obtained a superinjunction that, for nearly two years, prevented media reporting and led to legal battles over press freedom. After the superinjunction was lifted in July last year, the newspaper received industry awards for its coverage.

Ministers have rejected a recommendation from the Defence Committee to broaden parliamentary scrutiny in the event of future superinjunctions, asserting that such decisions should remain at the discretion of the "government of the day." Mr. Dhesi commented on this, noting, "After a major data breach and years of unprecedented secrecy, it is also striking that the government has rejected proposals for clear principles on parliamentary scrutiny should such an extraordinary situation ever arise again."

Campaigners accuse the government's relocation team of exerting excessive pressure on eligible Afghans to self-relocate, disregarding the associated risks. Stories have emerged of families being detained at borders and individuals facing deportation from transit countries back to Afghanistan.