The UK government is under fire for its handling of a sensitive data leak involving 18,700 Afghans, with former Defence Secretary Grant Shapps insisting that a superinjunction be continued to prevent reporting of the breach. The decision was made despite widespread criticism and concerns about the secrecy surrounding the issue.
A high court judge ultimately lifted the superinjunction, allowing details of the breach to become public, but not before it remained hidden for months. The revelation has sparked outrage among Labour and opposition leaders, who claim responsibility lies with the previous Conservative government.
According to reports, Shapps wanted to use the legal defence as an opportunity to demonstrate his toughness against media scrutiny, while others saw the superinjunction as excessive and unlikely to endure.
Labour party leader Keir Starmer accused Prime Minister Kemi Badenoch of being offered a security briefing about the situation in March but refusing it, sparking questions about her knowledge of the issue.
The government has acknowledged that 6,900 Afghans will be relocated under a secret scheme, with £2 billion spent on its initial implementation. However, the relocation is now set to halt, saving £1.2 billion from further flights.
The leak was initially caused by a Defence official emailing sensitive data to the wrong recipients in early 2022 but didn’t come to light until August 2023. The breach posed significant risks of reprisals and even “kill lists” if the Taliban had obtained the database, prompting an initial attempt at an ordinary injunction.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/law/2025/jul/16/grant-shapps-pushed-for-mod-afghan-superinjunction-to-remain-in-place