For years, Britain has opened its doors to people fleeing war and persecution.
But when it comes to Afghan interpreters—those who risked their lives to help British troops on the frontlines—our duty goes far beyond charity.
These men stood shoulder to shoulder with UK forces, knowing full well it could make them marked targets for Taliban revenge.
Many lived in fear of being hunted down. They were promised safety.
They were told Britain wouldn’t abandon them.
And yet, a shocking chain of mistakes has put thousands of them—and their families—right back in danger.
The Campaign That Saved Lives… But Took Too Long
The Mail’s Betrayal of the Brave campaign pushed hard to ensure these interpreters were given the sanctuary they deserved.
Thanks to public pressure and media scrutiny, many lives were indeed saved. But the path to safety wasn’t swift.
Instead of acting quickly, ministers and civil servants spent years caught in red tape, debating who exactly qualified for help.
If those delays hadn’t happened, there’s a good chance every single one of them would already be safely on UK soil.
And perhaps the catastrophic data leak that followed would never have occurred.
A Blunder That Put Tens of Thousands at Risk
In 2022, the Ministry of Defence made a devastating mistake.
A British soldier accidentally leaked a sensitive document containing the names of 33,000 Afghan nationals who had applied for sanctuary.
Suddenly, the Taliban had a hit list, and those applicants—along with their families—became vulnerable overnight.
That’s around 100,000 people in total whose lives were now at even greater risk.
By the time the alarm was finally raised a year later, the government scrambled into crisis mode.
A top-secret operation was launched to start extracting people and flying them to safety.
Billions Spent in a Silent Evacuation
So far, around 18,500 Afghans have been quietly brought into the UK through this covert rescue effort.
In total, 23,900 people are marked for relocation.
And to fund this unprecedented operation, the government committed £7 billion of taxpayer money.
Given the circumstances, some might say that’s the least the MoD could do after such an appalling mistake.
When your own error endangers lives, you don’t count the cost of fixing it.
But here’s where the story gets darker.
A Leak So Embarrassing It Was Hidden From the Nation
This wasn’t just a bureaucratic blunder—it was a full-blown security breach.
And instead of coming clean, ministers tried to keep it under wraps.
After the data leak, the government slapped a super-injunction on the press, blocking anyone from reporting the story.
Even Parliament couldn’t discuss it.
The official excuse? That public discussion could lead to Taliban reprisals.
But many suspect a more self-serving motive: the government simply didn’t want the public to know how many Afghans were being resettled, or how much it was costing.
What Happens When Governments Choose Secrecy Over Accountability
Yesterday, a judge finally lifted that gagging order.
But the fact that it was even imposed in the first place is troubling.
Democracy only works when there’s transparency, especially on issues like immigration and national security.
By hiding behind legal barriers, the previous Conservative government—and, some argue, the current Labour leadership too—chose secrecy over honesty.
That’s not just bad politics; it’s dangerous.
If the Ministry of Defence can’t even safeguard personal data, what happens during actual military operations?
Why This Matters to Every British Citizen
This isn’t just about one leak or one rescue mission.
It’s about the kind of country we want to be.
Do we honour our promises to allies? Do we face up to mistakes and fix them in the open? Or do we cover them up and hope no one notices?
Immigration remains a hot-button issue in Britain.
People have a right to know who’s being allowed in, why, and at what cost.
Trying to smother that conversation only fuels distrust and division.
And in this case, it undermines the very principles we claimed to be defending in Afghanistan—freedom, transparency, and justice.