Dozens extra Afghan relocation knowledge breaches uncovered by BBC

[ad_1] Billy Kember Politics investigations correspondent

Phil Kemp Political reporter

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/f7b3/live/20c016c0-7dce-11f0-88a2-b9725373e32e.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/f7b3/live/20c016c0-7dce-11f0-88a2-b9725373e32e.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/f7b3/live/20c016c0-7dce-11f0-88a2-b9725373e32e.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/f7b3/live/20c016c0-7dce-11f0-88a2-b9725373e32e.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/f7b3/live/20c016c0-7dce-11f0-88a2-b9725373e32e.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/f7b3/live/20c016c0-7dce-11f0-88a2-b9725373e32e.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/f7b3/live/20c016c0-7dce-11f0-88a2-b9725373e32e.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/f7b3/live/20c016c0-7dce-11f0-88a2-b9725373e32e.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="MOD/Crown Copyright/2021 Members of the UK Armed Forces leading Afghan refugees past a row of RAF transport planes at Kabul airport. The refugees' faces have been blurred" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> MOD/Crown Copyright/2021 The Ministry of Defence has admitted there have been 49 separate knowledge breaches up to now 4 years on the unit dealing with relocation functions from Afghans searching for security within the UK.

4 out of the 49 breaches had been already publicly identified - together with the leak in 2022 of a spreadsheet containing particulars of virtually 19,000 folks fleeing the Taliban.

This mammoth knowledge breach, which led to 1000's of Afghans being secretly relocated to the UK, was solely revealed final month after the Excessive Courtroom lifted a gagging order.

It was described by the UK's data watchdog as a "one-off incidence following a failure to [follow] ordinary checks, fairly than reflecting a wider tradition of non-compliance".

Nevertheless, legal professionals representing Afghans affected by knowledge breaches mentioned the brand new figures, launched to the BBC underneath the Freedom of Data Act, raised considerations a couple of tradition of lax safety amongst these engaged on the resettlement scheme.

The MoD has refused to supply any particulars of the character of every breach however incidents which have beforehand been made public embody officers inadvertently revealing the e-mail addresses or different private particulars of candidates to 3rd events.

Adnan Malik, Head of Information Safety at Barings Legislation which represents a whole lot of Afghans affected by the most important of the breaches in February 2022, mentioned: "What started as an remoted incident, which the Ministry of Defence initially sought to maintain from public view, has now escalated right into a sequence of catastrophic failings.

"We urge the Ministry of Defence to be totally clear with each these affected and the broader public. Victims shouldn't be pressured to be taught the reality by authorized motion or information studies."

The Afghan Relocations and Help Coverage (ARAP) was arrange in April 2021 to assist individuals who feared their lives had been in danger as a result of that they had labored with British armed forces in Afghanistan and to resettle eligible candidates and their members of the family within the UK. It was closed in July this 12 months.

The scheme has been dogged by revelations about poor knowledge safety, probably placing the lives of Afghans who labored with British forces in danger.

In September 2021, BBC Information revealed that greater than 250 Afghans searching for relocation to the UK had been mistakenly copied into an email from the Ministry of Defence , placing them prone to reprisals.

A complete of 265 e-mail addresses had been shared on this means throughout three separate incidents that month, which finally led to a £350,000 fantastic from the watchdog.

The breaches had been "intensely troublesome and embarrassing for the federal government dealing with publicly", one defence supply mentioned.

Ben Wallace, the then-defence secretary, expressed his private anger at what had occurred, telling MPs: "I'm very eager that it's not simply the poor one who drafts the e-mail who's held to account, however the chain upwards, to make sure that this doesn't occur once more."

Two months after the incidents, in November 2021, the then Conservative authorities introduced "vital remedial actions", together with new knowledge dealing with procedures and coaching in addition to a brand new "two pairs of eyes rule" requiring any exterior e-mail to an ARAP-eligible Afghan nationwide be reviewed by a second member of employees earlier than being despatched.

The federal government mentioned the measures had been taken to "forestall such incidents occurring once more".

As a substitute, knowledge breaches continued together with, in February 2022, a probably catastrophic leak which noticed a soldier at Regent's Park barracks ship a spreadsheet with what they believed to be a small variety of candidates' names to trusted Afghan contacts.

They didn't realise that hidden knowledge within the spreadsheet in reality contained the names, contact particulars and a few details about members of the family and associates for practically 19,000 folks.

When the leak was found some 18 months later, in August 2023, the then-Conservative authorities sought a gagging order to stop particulars of the error being made public. The federal government efficiently argued that lives had been in danger and the Taliban can be alerted if an injunction wasn't granted.

The tremendous injunction which was imposed was not lifted till July this 12 months.

Jon Baines, a senior knowledge safety specialist on the legislation agency Mishcon de Reya, mentioned the brand new figures uncovered by the BBC present a "exceptional variety of knowledge safety incidents in relation to the ARAP scheme".

"It's troublesome to consider any data extra delicate than that which is concerned with the scheme, and it baffles me why there weren't higher safety measures in place," he added.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/8cae/live/46db3e60-7ded-11f0-99a6-6566970a8a8a.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/8cae/live/46db3e60-7ded-11f0-99a6-6566970a8a8a.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/8cae/live/46db3e60-7ded-11f0-99a6-6566970a8a8a.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/8cae/live/46db3e60-7ded-11f0-99a6-6566970a8a8a.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/8cae/live/46db3e60-7ded-11f0-99a6-6566970a8a8a.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/8cae/live/46db3e60-7ded-11f0-99a6-6566970a8a8a.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/8cae/live/46db3e60-7ded-11f0-99a6-6566970a8a8a.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/8cae/live/46db3e60-7ded-11f0-99a6-6566970a8a8a.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="PA Media Sir Ben Wallace in a dark suit and tie gives a speech against the backdrop of union flags " class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> PA Media Then defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace expressed anger on the knowledge leaks

Seven of the 49 knowledge breaches had been sufficiently critical to require MoD officers to inform knowledge watchdog the Data Commissioner's Workplace (ICO).

This consists of three breaches - one in 2021, and two in 2022 - that haven't been made public earlier than.

The ICO mentioned it was restricted within the quantity of data it nonetheless held on these breaches and why it did not take additional motion however that its work with the MoD was "ongoing".

"We proceed to interact with the MoD, so we may be assured that they've made the required enhancements," a spokeswoman mentioned.

The watchdog has not taken any motion in opposition to the MoD over the massive spreadsheet knowledge breach which was beforehand topic to court-imposed reporting restrictions, arguing "there was little we might add on this case that might justify the additional allocation of useful resource away from different priorities".

Jon Baines mentioned there have been "critical questions firstly as as to if the ICO ought to have carried out extra in-depth investigations beforehand, and secondly, whether or not there's now an pressing want for extra investigation.

"What assurance can all of us have now that the MoD are correctly defending the extremely delicate private knowledge it's typically entrusted with?", he added.

A Labour authorities supply blamed earlier Conservative administrations for insufficient knowledge safety measures and mentioned new software program has been launched and different adjustments made since Labour got here to energy final 12 months.

"Present ministers repeatedly highlighted the Tory mismanagement of knowledge across the ARAP scheme whereas in opposition," the supply mentioned.

"Since final July, we have introduced in a bunch of latest measures to enhance knowledge safety and we have made public the most important Afghan knowledge breach which occurred underneath the earlier authorities, to permit for parliamentary scrutiny and accountability."

A Conservative Celebration spokesman mentioned: "This knowledge leak ought to by no means have occurred and was an unacceptable breach of knowledge safety protocols.

The secretary of state for defence has issued an apology on behalf of the federal government, and Conservatives joined in that apology.

"When this breach got here to mild, the quick precedence of the then-government was to guard individuals within the dataset."

An MoD spokesperson mentioned: "We take knowledge safety extraordinarily severely and are dedicated to making sure that any incidents are handled correctly, and that we observe our authorized duties.

"All incidents that meet the edge underneath UK knowledge safety legal guidelines are referred to the Data Commissioner's Workplace, and any lesser incidents are examined internally to make sure classes are realized."

You probably have any data on tales you want to share with the BBC Politics Investigations group, please get in contact at politicsinvestigations@bbc.co.uk

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