More than 7,300 Afghans to be resettled in UK after MoD data leak, says National Audit Office

"The MoD estimates that, as of July 2025, the government had spent around 400m on resettling people through the ARR and that it would spend around a further 450m on the scheme. The MoD estimated the costs to the whole of government to be 128,000 per resettled individual, of which an estimated 53,000 would be met by the MoD. At the time of publication, the MoD had not provided us with sufficient evidence to give us confidence regarding the completeness and accuracy of these estimates."

"The accidental leak by an MoD official in 2022 of 18,700 Afghans' details who had worked with or for the British government led to the opening of a new route by which those endangered could seek relocation to the UK from their home country. The MoD expects 7,355 people to be resettled through the Afghanistan response route (ARR) as a direct result of the breach, including the family members of those directly affected, the NAO said."

An MoD official accidentally leaked 18,700 Afghans' details in 2022, prompting a new Afghanistan response route for relocation to the UK. The MoD expects 7,355 people, including family members, to be resettled as a direct result of the breach. A spreadsheet of 33,345 lines exposed names, contact details and some family information. The government cannot calculate exact response costs because ARR spending was not separately recorded; MoD figures cite around £400m spent and a further £450m projected, but the £850m estimate excluded legal costs and compensation. Evidence supporting per‑person cost estimates was insufficient. The government kept ARR accounting opaque while a superinjunction prevented disclosure of the breach and the injunction itself.

Read at www.theguardian.com