Lawyers say they expect Afghans who supported British forces and had their details exposed in a catastrophic Ministry of Defence (MoD) data breach to receive compensation “in the thousands”. Law firm Leigh Day says “dozens” of people looking to make a claim are getting in touch every day after finding out their details were included in the accidental leak which only became public knowledge after an unprecedented superinjunction was lifted on Tuesday.
Data breach lawyer Sean Humber confirmed Leigh Day was investigating a group claim from Afghans, some of whom remain in Afghanistan, as well as others who have relocated to the UK. Mr Humber told the Express that those still in Afghanistan could be due higher compensation. He said: “As the injunction was only lifted on Tuesday, which is when those affected became aware that their personal data had been disclosed without their knowledge or consent, this claim is still at an early stage.
“However, we are currently acting for a number of existing clients and are also being approached each day by dozens more people who have been affected who have read about our work in this area.
“The priority must be ensuring the safety of those affected by the data breach who remain in Afghanistan.”
The lawyer added: “We expect the level of compensation to be in the thousands, although the exact amount is likely to vary and will probably be higher for those remaining in Afghanistan compared to those that have successfully relocated to the UK.”
The leak happened in February 2022 when a dataset, containing the personal information of nearly 19,000 people who applied for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme, was released “in error” by a defence official.
ARAP was responsible for relocating Afghan nationals who had worked for or with the UK Government and were therefore at risk of reprisals once the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021.
The MoD didn’t become aware of the breach until more than a year later, when excerpts of the spreadsheet were anonymously posted in a Facebook group in August 2023.
It is thought the blunder may have put up to 100,000 people, including relatives of the ARAP applicants, at risk of death or serious harm from the Taliban.
However, an independent review, commissioned by the Government in January 2025, concluded last month that the dataset is “unlikely to significantly shift Taliban understanding of individuals who may be of interest to them”.
Adnan Malik, head of data protection at Barings Law, said on the day the gagging order was lifted the firm was working with “1,000 of those affected to pursue potential legal action”.
The leak led to the creation of a secret Afghan relocation scheme – the Afghanistan Response Route – in April 2024.
The mission is projected to cost around £850 million once complete, with millions more expected to be paid in legal costs and compensation.
It means the total amount of taxpayer money spent on the Afghan relocation schemes is due to soar to up to £6 billion — however, a previous Government estimate had the amount set at as high as £7 billion.
It is thought that around 24,000 people, including family members, affected by the breach have arrived or will come to the UK.
On Thursday, it emerged that the details of more than 100 Britons were also included in the leak.
Defence sources said that details of MI6 spies and special forces personnel were included in the spreadsheet, after they had endorsed Afghans who had applied to be brought to the UK.
Defence Secretary John Healey offered a “sincere apology” for the leak on behalf of the Government.
Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge also apologised on behalf of the former Tory government which was in power when the leak happened and when it was discovered more than a year later.
The Express has contacted the MoD for a statement.