The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) exposed the personal data of nearly 18,700 Afghan nationals.
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Overview
In 2022, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) made a catastrophic error that exposed the personal data of nearly 18,700 Afghan nationals.
The breach occurred when a MoD official mistakenly emailed a classified database containing the personal information of Afghans who had applied for UK relocation schemes.
Many of these individuals had worked alongside British forces during the war in Afghanistan and were already being sought by the Taliban. The personal data of some special forces and spies were also on the leaked database.
The breach wasn’t revealed immediately. It came to light in 2023 when a man in Afghanistan who had received the email posted details on Facebook. A superinjunction was then used to keep the breach quiet until 2025.
Just weeks after the UK government finally revealed the 2022 MoD leak, a second data breach came to light at a sub-contractor responsible for providing ground-handling services for flights at Stansted. And, in late August 2025, the BBC revealed there had been 49 separate data breaches in the past four years at the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP).
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Afghan MoD data breach claim – at a glance
What do we know about the Afghan MoD data breach?
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Latest updates on the Afghan MoD data breach
March 2026
According to a BBC report, thousands of Afghans affected by the breach are "still in Afghanistan, waiting to learn whether they will ever reach the safety they were promised".
March 2026
A report by AOAV said that, of those notified
The report also claimed that at least 49 relatives or colleagues of affected Afghans had been killed in incidents linked to Taliban reprisals following the leak.
March 2026
A report by AOAV said that, of those notified
The report also claimed that at least 49 relatives or colleagues of affected Afghans had been killed in incidents linked to Taliban reprisals following the leak.
August 2025
Just weeks after the UK government finally revealed the 2022 MoD leak that exposed the personal details of nearly 19,000 Afghans, a second data breach comes to light. The breach occurred at Inflite The Jet Centre, a sub-contractor responsible for providing ground-handling services for flights at Stansted.
And, in late August 2025, the BBC revealed there had been 49 separate data breaches in the past four years at the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP).
July 2025
The injunction is lifted and full details of the breach are revealed
2023
The data breach was identified when the names of nine people who had applied to move to the UK appear on Facebook. The post is reported to be made by a disgruntled Afghan man who had been turned down for relocation. The MOD applies for an injunction to stop the leak becoming public. The court agrees due to fears that up to 100,000 people could be in danger if the leaked document becomes public.
Feb 2022
The MoD email mistakenly leaks details of 18,714 Afghan nationals.
Aug 2021
The Taliban takes control of Afghanistan after UK/US troop withdrawal.
We’ll provide more updates on the Afghan MoD data breach as they occur.
Could you be affected by the Afghan MoD data breach?
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Frequently asked questions about the Afghan MoD data breach claim
A Ministry of Defence official mistakenly shared an email containing sensitive details of Afghan nationals applying for relocation under UK government schemes. The email was sent in February 2022, but the breach wasn’t made public until 2025, following a court decision to lift a superinjunction.
Just weeks after the UK government finally revealed the 2022 MoD leak that exposed the personal details of nearly 19,000 Afghans, a second data breach came to light. This time, involving Afghans now resettled in Britain. The breach occurred at Inflite The Jet Centre, a sub-contractor responsible for providing ground-handling services for flights at Stansted. You can find out more about this breach here.
Many of those exposed had worked against the Taliban and were already targets for reprisals. Leaking their details amplified the risk to them and their families.
If you applied to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) or related schemes, you should check official MoD guidance or legal updates.
No. The MoD has stated it will not provide compensation and will defend any legal action.
Yes. At least one UK law firm is preparing group litigation. At present, we are not working with a partner firm on this case.
We are not a law firm. Our role is to keep people informed about potential group actions if one of our regulated UK partner law firms is able to take this claim forward.
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