LONDON: The UK’s Ministry of Defence has admitted that 49 separate data breaches relating to Afghan relocations took place over the past four years, the BBC reported on Thursday.
The breaches occurred within the unit responsible for processing relocation claims from Afghans seeking refuge in the UK.
Of the 49 breaches, four were publicly known, including the massive 2022 leak of a spreadsheet containing the personal details of almost 19,000 people fleeing the Taliban.
That leak led to thousands of Afghans being secretly relocated to the UK, a fact that was concealed from the public for years under a gagging order lifted last month.
The latest figure of 49 breaches was revealed to the BBC through the Freedom of Information Act.
