More than 7,300 Afghans are expected to be resettled in the United Kingdom following a major Ministry of Defence (MoD) data leak, according to a new report by the National Audit Office (NAO).
The watchdog has also raised concerns over the accuracy of government estimates that put the cost of the resettlement scheme at £850 million.
The data breach, which occurred in 2022, exposed the personal details of 18,700 Afghans who had worked with or for the British government. In response, a new relocation route was opened to provide safety for those at risk in Afghanistan. The MoD now expects that 7,355 people, including family members, will be resettled through the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR).
The NAO revealed that the government’s estimated £850 million cost did not include legal fees or potential compensation claims. It warned that the true financial impact could be far higher and questioned the reliability of the figures provided by the MoD. As of July 2025, around £400 million had already been spent on resettling Afghans under the scheme, with a further £450 million projected.
The breach originated from a spreadsheet mistakenly shared by the MoD containing over 33,000 lines of sensitive data, including names, contact information and family details. Following the discovery in August 2023, the MoD sought and secured a high court superinjunction to prevent public disclosure. This injunction also restricted reporting on the breach itself until it was lifted in July 2025.
Despite the new relocation route, a subsequent government review concluded that the scale and cost of the scheme were disproportionate to the additional risks posed by the data exposure. Defence Secretary John Healey later closed the ARR scheme once the injunction was lifted.
The NAO has confirmed that it will continue to review the financial implications and transparency of the Afghan resettlement schemes. The Public Accounts Committee is also due to examine the figures as concerns remain over the full cost and delivery of the programme, with thousands of Afghans still awaiting relocation to the UK.
