July 15, 2025
JamRadio Newsroom | Politics
The UK government is under fire after the lifting of a superinjunction revealed a covert asylum operation triggered by a catastrophic Ministry of Defence data breach — and rooted in the fallout from President Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan.
The breach, which occurred in February 2022, saw a Royal Marine mistakenly email a spreadsheet containing the personal details of nearly 25,000 Afghan nationals who had applied for relocation under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP). The leak placed thousands at risk of Taliban reprisals.
The urgency of the evacuation — described as the largest covert peacetime resettlement in UK history — was compounded by the chaos unleashed when Trump’s administration struck a deal with the Taliban in 2020 and later pulled US forces without securing protections for Afghan allies. The collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban’s swift return to power left thousands scrambling for safety, many of whom had worked alongside British and American forces.
In response to the breach, the UK launched the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR), a secret resettlement scheme that has already relocated over 6,900 Afghans, with thousands more in transit. The operation, kept hidden from Parliament and the public for nearly two years, is projected to cost up to £7 billion.
The superinjunction, granted in September 2023, barred all reporting on the breach and even the existence of the injunction itself — a move described by legal experts as “constitutionally unprecedented.” It was lifted earlier today following mounting legal pressure and media challenges.
Defence Secretary John Healey addressed the Commons this afternoon, offering a “sincere apology” and admitting discomfort over the lack of transparency. Critics say the decision to keep Parliament in the dark for so long undermines democratic accountability and sets a dangerous precedent for government secrecy.
Law firm Barings Law, representing over 1,000 victims, is preparing legal action, citing government negligence and risk to life.
JamRadio will continue to follow this developing story. Stay tuned for updates and analysis throughout the day.
