Sir Ben Wallace emphasized his responsibility in halting communication on a data leak concerning 19,000 Afghans supporting British forces. A court ruling allowed details of the breach to emerge, revealing risks posed to those on the leaked list. The daughter of an Afghan translator expressed concern for her family’s safety, noting fear regarding the Taliban potentially accessing their information. Subsequently, the Afghanistan Response Route was established, enabling around 4,500 Afghans to resettle in the UK at considerable financial expense.
Sir Ben Wallace stated he makes "no apology" for stopping the reporting of a leak that revealed data about thousands of Afghans who supported British forces. He applied for an injunction with the priority of protecting those at risk from the Taliban.
The leak, which occurred in February 2022, involved the details of nearly 19,000 Afghans who applied to move to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) and was exposed only after a High Court judge ruled to lift a gagging order.
The daughter of an Afghan translator whose information was leaked expressed the family's panic, fearing that their details may have reached the Taliban and emphasized the vulnerability of relatives remaining in Afghanistan who could be endangered.
Sir Ben Wallace noted that following the data breach, a new resettlement scheme named the Afghanistan Response Route was initiated in April 2024, which has facilitated the arrival of approximately 4,500 Afghans to the UK.
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