Second data breach risks lives of more translators in Afghanistan
DOZENS more brave Afghans who helped the UK are facing fresh danger after a second data breach by bungling military officials.
In another shocking gaffe, it emerged that the Ministry of Defence mistakenly copied 55 people into a message, with their email addresses visible to all recipients, earlier this month.
It comes after Defence Secretary Ben Wallace was forced to apologise on Tuesday after more than 250 interpreters hiding from the Taliban were affected by the same blunder.
In the latest breach, recipients – likely to include interpreters as well as at least one member of the Afghan National Army – were told UK relocation officials had been unable to contact them and asked to update their details, it was reported.
The unnamed official failed to use ‘blind copy’ – the email feature that stops recipients of a group email seeing who else it had been copied to.
Defence sources told the BBC that Mr Wallace did not know about this second breach when he spoke in the Commons on Tuesday.
It is understood the recipients were all eligible for the Afghan relocation programme which was established in April to help Afghans whose lives were at risk from the Taliban because they had worked for the British. The Daily Mail has been at the forefront of calling for such brave Afghans to be given sanctuary in the UK.
Mr Wallace told the Commons the Government was working to provide security advice to those affected by the first breach. Responding to an urgent question, he said: ‘The minister for the Armed Forces is in the region speaking to neighbouring countries to see what more we can do with both third countries and in-country applicants.
‘It is an unacceptable level of service that has let down the thousands of members of the Armed Forces and veterans. On behalf of the Ministry of Defence, I apologise.’
An MoD spokesman said: ‘We have been made aware of a data breach that occurred earlier this month by the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy team. Steps have now been taken to ensure this does not happen in the future.’
After years of working for British forces on the front line, the interpreters were to be given sanctuary in the UK as the Taliban swept back to power.
But in the chaos at Kabul airport last month, hundreds failed to get on the RAF mercy flights airlifting Britons and loyal Afghans to safety.
Those stranded with their families were forced into hiding from Taliban fighters. At least seven coalition translators are thought to have been murdered by militants this year.