An Afghan family's plea for safety highlights the risks they face following a significant UK data breach that exposed their identities. Currently detained in Pakistan, they are on the brink of deportation to a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, where they fear for their lives due to past affiliations with UK forces.
Afghans Face Imminent Threat of Deportation Amid UK Data Breach
Afghans Face Imminent Threat of Deportation Amid UK Data Breach
The son of an Afghan man caught in a UK data breach fears for his family's life as they face imminent deportation from Pakistan back to Afghanistan.
Despite their ongoing application for relocation, urgency mounts as their situation grows increasingly precarious.
An Afghan man detained in Pakistan, whose details were leaked due to a significant data breach by the UK, faces deportation along with several family members. According to his son, the family is at grave risk should they be sent back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The man, a member of Afghan special forces who aided British forces, was caught up in Pakistan’s recent campaign to remove “illegal foreign nationals”.
His son, who remains anonymous for safety, described a dire scenario where his family is in a holding camp awaiting deportation. He wishes for the authorities to consider their unique predicament, as his father’s associations with the British military place them in jeopardy.
While the Taliban asserts that all citizens can live without fear in Afghanistan, a recent UN report titled "No Safe Haven" contradicts these claims, indicating that many who served with foreign troops face threats.
The Afghan family initially sought safety under the UK’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) shortly after the Taliban regained control in August 2021. Their application, endorsed by the UK Ministry of Defence, has left them in a prolonged state of limbo in Pakistan, though they waited diligently for approval.
Rayan, the son, narrated the harrowing experience of his family being detained. Some relatives, including young children, were taken to a holding facility as they awaited their fate. Rayan narrowly evaded capture by hiding in a hotel bathroom with his wife and infant son.
Despite ongoing communication with the British High Commission, Rayan reported feeling desperate and fearful of police rounds up. The family’s concerns were compounded by the UK data breach in February 2022, which exposed personal information of nearly 19,000 Afghans, leading many fearful of backlash.
Calvin Bailey, an MP and former RAF commander who worked alongside Afghan special forces, emphasized the urgent need for the UK to meet its obligations to assist those at risk, insisting that the government must provide adequate protection.
With Pakistan currently grappling with an overwhelming influx of Afghan refugees—about three million in total—officials have expressed frustration over the slow relocation process to other countries. The Pakistani government claims to follow regulations regarding illegal foreign nationals while urging the UK to expedite these resettlements.
According to the UN, over a million individuals have returned to Afghanistan since September 2023 as part of Pakistan's repatriation efforts. Nevertheless, the UN Refugee Agency has urged that returns must ensure safety and dignity for all Afghans. Amid escalating deportation apprehensions, they stress special protections for those with significant vulnerabilities should be prioritized.
An Afghan man detained in Pakistan, whose details were leaked due to a significant data breach by the UK, faces deportation along with several family members. According to his son, the family is at grave risk should they be sent back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The man, a member of Afghan special forces who aided British forces, was caught up in Pakistan’s recent campaign to remove “illegal foreign nationals”.
His son, who remains anonymous for safety, described a dire scenario where his family is in a holding camp awaiting deportation. He wishes for the authorities to consider their unique predicament, as his father’s associations with the British military place them in jeopardy.
While the Taliban asserts that all citizens can live without fear in Afghanistan, a recent UN report titled "No Safe Haven" contradicts these claims, indicating that many who served with foreign troops face threats.
The Afghan family initially sought safety under the UK’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) shortly after the Taliban regained control in August 2021. Their application, endorsed by the UK Ministry of Defence, has left them in a prolonged state of limbo in Pakistan, though they waited diligently for approval.
Rayan, the son, narrated the harrowing experience of his family being detained. Some relatives, including young children, were taken to a holding facility as they awaited their fate. Rayan narrowly evaded capture by hiding in a hotel bathroom with his wife and infant son.
Despite ongoing communication with the British High Commission, Rayan reported feeling desperate and fearful of police rounds up. The family’s concerns were compounded by the UK data breach in February 2022, which exposed personal information of nearly 19,000 Afghans, leading many fearful of backlash.
Calvin Bailey, an MP and former RAF commander who worked alongside Afghan special forces, emphasized the urgent need for the UK to meet its obligations to assist those at risk, insisting that the government must provide adequate protection.
With Pakistan currently grappling with an overwhelming influx of Afghan refugees—about three million in total—officials have expressed frustration over the slow relocation process to other countries. The Pakistani government claims to follow regulations regarding illegal foreign nationals while urging the UK to expedite these resettlements.
According to the UN, over a million individuals have returned to Afghanistan since September 2023 as part of Pakistan's repatriation efforts. Nevertheless, the UN Refugee Agency has urged that returns must ensure safety and dignity for all Afghans. Amid escalating deportation apprehensions, they stress special protections for those with significant vulnerabilities should be prioritized.
