What was meant to be a safe haven for those who helped British forces in Afghanistan has turned into a growing controversy.
A secret airlift operation—originally designed to rescue allies—has reportedly brought former Taliban fighters and convicted criminals into the UK, raising serious concerns about national security and government oversight.
It All Started with a Catastrophic Data Leak
This whole situation stems from a massive blunder by a British military official who accidentally leaked a sensitive database back in 2023.
That database contained personal information for over 100,000 Afghans who had applied to resettle in the UK through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP).
The Mail first uncovered the breach and described it as effectively handing the Taliban a “kill list” of people who had worked with British forces during the war.
Since then, around 18,500 Afghans identified in that leak have been flown to the UK under a secret evacuation project called Operation Rubific—with a total of 23,900 expected to arrive.
Most are currently staying in Ministry of Defence housing or hotels until permanent homes can be arranged.
Taliban Sympathisers Allegedly Enter the UK Under the Radar
However, reports from The Telegraph now suggest that some of those evacuated were never meant to be included in the first place.
Allegedly, former Taliban fighters, sex offenders, corrupt Afghan officials, and even people who had previously been denied entry due to violent or criminal histories have managed to get into the UK under the same airlift plan.
How? Sources say the system was exploited. Some applicants falsely listed Taliban members as their relatives or dependents, while corrupt Afghan intermediaries reportedly vouched for them.
Several former Afghan officials have confirmed that people with direct ties to the Taliban entered British territory using these methods.
Parliament and the Public Kept in the Dark
For nearly two years, the public knew nothing about this.
A 23-month High Court super-injunction blocked media coverage of both the data breach and the airlift operation.
Only now is the full picture beginning to emerge—along with accusations that Parliament itself was misled.
In secret hearings, senior insiders warned that the vetting process had major flaws.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) largely relied on recommendations from Afghan officials, many of whom were later found to be compromised.
One Afghan whistleblower bluntly stated, “They have British blood on their hands,” referring to Taliban members who were now allegedly living in the UK.
Specific Cases Raise More Questions
So far, four Taliban-linked individuals have reportedly been identified as having entered the UK under Operation Rubific:
-
One man, who arrived before Kabul’s collapse in 2021, is believed to have helped his Taliban-affiliated relatives get in with him.
-
Another, previously jailed for selling weapons to the Taliban, is confirmed to be living in the UK.
-
A third man, accused of sexual assault, hasn’t arrived yet—but his case is under review.
-
The fourth is a British passport holder suspected of vouching for Taliban sympathisers.
The MoD has declined to comment on specific cases but insisted that the vetting process involves both document and biographic checks—not just personal recommendations.
Even so, a former reservist who worked on the scheme admitted he was told the vetting had not been fully completed in many cases.
The Taliban’s Deadly Crackdown Back Home
Meanwhile, the consequences of the data breach in Afghanistan have been devastating.
Since news of the leak reached those at risk, fear has gripped the country.
In just one week, three assassinations have been linked to the leak.
In one incident, a man was gunned down in broad daylight—shot four times in the chest.
He was one of thousands who received a chilling notification from the UK Government acknowledging that their data had been lost and warning that this could put them in danger.
One Afghan soldier now living in the UK believes his brother was recently murdered because of his ties to British forces.
“There will be many more executions like the one on Monday,” he warned. “And it will be Britain’s fault.”
A Grim Tally of Victims
The Mail has seen a dossier listing over 300 Afghans who have been murdered since the data breach—many of whom either worked with UK forces or had applied through the ARAP scheme.
Among them:
-
Colonel Shafiq Ahmad Khan, a former intelligence officer and grandfather, was lured into a trap and shot on his doorstep in 2022.
-
Commando Ahjmadzai and soldier Qassim, both applicants to the UK scheme, were killed in 2023.
What Happens Next?
With the super-injunction lifted and details now emerging, public pressure is mounting on the UK Government to explain how such glaring mistakes were allowed to happen.
Critics are demanding accountability—not just for the data breach, but for what they see as a betrayal of the very people Britain had promised to protect.
Meanwhile, thousands still stranded in Afghanistan remain at the mercy of Taliban retribution, unsure if help will come—or if it already has, for the wrong people.