The British government has secretly relocated thousands of Afghans to the United Kingdom (U.K.) after a 2022 data breach exposed personal details of nearly 19,000 Afghans who applied for resettlement, including those who have worked with British forces. 

According to Defence Secretary John Healey, a Ministry of Defence official he did not name, mistakenly emailed a spreadsheet containing names, contact details, and family information of those who applied to move to the U.K. following Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. 

The incident has prompted the government to secure a super injunction from the court to bar media from reporting both the breach and the injunction, and to create a secret resettlement scheme. The move was made amid fears that the Taliban could target the applicants.

So far, 4,500 Afghans, 900 applicants and about 3,600 family members, have been relocated under the program known as the Afghan Relocation Route.

The existence of the leak and the secret relocation program only came to light on Tuesday when High Court Judge Martin Chamberlain lifted the order, citing the danger of “a scrutiny vacuum.”

Healey apologized to Parliament, calling it a “serious departmental error.” He acknowledged the spreadsheet included details of Afghan military officers, interpreters, and officials who had worked with the U.K. during its military involvement in Afghanistan.

The Ministry of Defence has declined to confirm whether any disciplinary action was taken against the official involved. The Metropolitan Police determined no criminal investigation was necessary.

Since 2021, about 36,000 Afghans have been resettled in the U.K. through other programs.