The Independent is committed to providing important journalism on vital issues like reproductive rights and climate change without paywalls. Recent events reveal concerns over the prolonged superinjunction related to an Afghan data leak, which exposed personal information of thousands seeking asylum in Britain. Despite the government maintaining the order due to safety fears, a review found no significant danger, questioning the rationale behind the initial decision. The Defence Intelligence had earlier accessed key information, highlighting the complexities in handling sensitive data related to asylum seekers.
The major leak in February 2022 exposed the personal information of 18,700 Afghans seeking sanctuary in Britain, prompting an unprecedented court order banning any details of the leak from being revealed amid fears it would fall into the hands of the Taliban and put up to 100,000 people at risk.
Defence Intelligence officials, who advised the government on the need for the superinjunction, had access to the same information last year.
The superinjunction was finally lifted after a review commissioned by defence secretary John Healey concluded that the threat of danger to those on the list was not significant.
Information that led to the Afghan data leak superinjunction being lifted was available last year, raising questions over why the unprecedented gagging order was maintained for so long.
Collection
[
|
...
]