A catastrophic Ministry of Defence data breach that exposed the details of thousands of Afghans seeking refuge in the UK was kept secret for nearly two years under an unprecedented superinjunction, The Independent has revealed.

The leak, which occurred in February 2022, compromised sensitive information about applicants to the MoD’s Arap resettlement scheme – a programme for Afghans who had supported British forces and now feared Taliban reprisals.

Officials launched a top-secret response, codenamed Operation Rubific, resulting in the covert evacuation of more than 16,000 people to the UK. The government was prepared to relocate up to 42,000 in total at a projected cost of £7bn.

The extraordinary cover-up meant MPs, the public and even many within Whitehall were kept in the dark.

A court battle led by The Independent and other media finally overturned the superinjunction this week, raising serious questions about transparency, accountability, and the treatment of those who risked their lives for Britain.

Reactions from readers have been swift and damning, touching on moral responsibility, government secrecy, institutional incompetence, and the human cost of this breach.

Many drew parallels with past scandals, while others demanded consequences and urgent reform.

Here’s what you had to say:

Britain has a moral responsibility

It is an expensive programme, that is true, but the problem is a very big one. The whole thing was bungled from the start – remember Dominic Raab staying on his holiday in Crete while Kabul was being evacuated? And the nature of the leak is just incredible.

The billions this costs, spread out over several years, are desperately needed elsewhere, but as with the Gurkhas, Britain has a moral responsibility.

RegCostello

This story has shocked many – what’s your reaction? Add your voice in the comments.

Strain

(i) ‘Prioritisation of Ukrainian nationals’ and (ii) ‘drastically increased work-from-home arrangements for civil servants’ were the main reasons given for the months-long consular waits for visas and passport processing in 2022 and 2023.

I wonder whether this massive evacuation from Afghanistan contributed to that strain, or whether it was all managed by a separate–and–covert department. Either way, covert or not, every resource has its limit, doesn’t it?