Thousands of Afghans have moved to the UK under a secret scheme which was set up after a British official inadvertently leaked their data, according to new reports.
In 2022, the personal details of nearly 19,000 people who had applied to move to the UK after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan were leaked.
UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the name of the MoD leaker hasn't been unveiled, but it's prompted widespread backlash.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Gavin Gray's our UK correspondent, Gavin, Welcome to the show.
Hi there, Rak, who's taking responsibility for this lake of
the thousands and thousands of names of Afghans who applied
to move to the UK when the Teleban took over
back in twenty twenty two.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Somebody from the Ministry of Defense. But we're not being
told a name, we're not actually being told what's happened
to that person. And it's caused a great deal of anger.
So we've learned this week because a gagging order, a
court gagging order preventing any publication of this story has
just been rescinded. And we've only learned this week that
(00:36):
somebody accidentally emailed a spreadsheet of names of those in
Afghanistan who had applied to become to the UK. As
you said, the Taliban, of course took over very very quickly,
chaotic scenes, and there were some in Afghanistan who had
helped British troops the Allied forces by either translating or
(00:57):
by no doubts that are spying within communityies with information.
And those people, of course naturally feared for their life
when the Taliban took over. Now they applied and it
appeared the government had been playing hardball with this, and
yet now we learn that actually somebody had emailed this
spreadsheet out and then the government decided, well, it was
(01:19):
only fair that everyone virtually on that spreadsheet should be
allowed to come to the UK, because of course that
had put their lives at risk. Details are well. Nearly
nineteen thousand had applied to move to the UK. The
previous government learned of the breach in August twenty twenty
three when some of the details appeared on Facebook. A
new resettlement scheme for those on the list was set
(01:42):
up nine months later. Four and a half thousand arrived
in the UK so far, but it is estimated that
there are at least another two and a half thousand
still in Afghanistan. The scheme is being closed down. The
cost so far has been eight hundred and fifty new
million New Zealand dollars. It's likely to cost double that
in the end, and still no response as to who
(02:04):
did this, whether they're still in their job. Quite extraordinary.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Certainly is given. And more than a million people in
the UK receiving benefits were born overseas.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, this has been a really really interesting way both
in which this has been reported, but also in the
figures themselves. So it's long been questioned by those, particularly
anti immigration, those on the right, those trying to save
the UK money, saying, look, how much of our benefits
bill is going to those who were born in the
UK and how much is either going to refugees, asylum
(02:40):
seekers those who have come into the UK were Now
the answers are out. In June, nearly eight million people
received Universal Credit that is like a top up to
help people both employed and unemployed people with living costs,
and eighty three percent were British and Irish nationals. Now,
when you strip that down, more than one million claimants
(03:03):
were born overseas, and that includes seven hundred thousand European
Union citizens who arrived in the UK before Brexit but
have the right to remain and live and work in
the UK. At one point five percent of claimants for refugees,
and seventy five thousand claimants who are in the UK
temporarily and would typically not be able to receive benefits.
(03:26):
I'll also claim in this particular benefit. So you could
look at this and say, oh, well, you know eighty
three percent are British and Irish nationals. First of all,
why are Irish nationals getting it? Some people, I think
we'll ask, But also why are so many people who
weren't burned in the UK allowed to claim this? And
it is a huge sum of money that is going
out in benefits. We've had the big row here over
(03:49):
of course that benefits build a government trying to reduce it,
and now that's been overturned by its own MPs. And
many people just think we've got to get a grip
on this before it spirals even and further out of control.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Is the proportion you know, is a proportion of the population.
Are they the refugees or the immigrants getting more than
you know, what I'm saying is a proportion of the
population Or is anyone saying yeah, it's out of wack.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Well, these figures are slightly askew because to get universal
credit you can also be working, but in a low
paid job, and what the many migrants have low paid jobs,
so you know, it's very difficult to draw out.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
We need more.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Precise figures from the government and I think that's going
to be very difficult to get out of them.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
I saw the story this morning. It's made headlines here
in New Zealand, the Weig girl who was wearing a
Union Jet Spy skill dress, Union Jet dress and was
kicked out of school.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, quite extraordinary. This So this was actually at a
school culture celebration day, so all the children were encouraged
to dress in a way in which it reflected a
culture that they wanted to highlight. And of course, you
know there were lots of being in Rugby in the Midlands,
lots of different ethnic representations. There one girl who is
(05:07):
British and a twelve year old turned up wearing a
Union Jack dress like if you remember, one of the
Spice girls, and also wanted to give a speech as
part of that culture celebration day, to give her speech
about being British, after all we do live in Britain,
but she was denied and sent home. The school has
since apologized and said it was a bit of a misunderstanding.
(05:32):
Offerer and sirius sincere and unreserved apologies. But now campaign's
grown for the head teacher to be kicked out. And this,
I'm afraid is a long line. The last and long
line of stories ride where people have turned up at
events that are supposed to celebrate culture in all its forms,
and yet seem to be a shame to be British.
When it comes to it, I dare say it is
(05:53):
the stigma attached to some elements of the population by
the British flag. The Union Flag represents at times far right.
It said, But really this does seem absolutely extraordinary. And
this only made the news because the father and the
daughter just thought this is a bit unfair and put
it on Facebook, having had to pick his daughter up
(06:15):
early somewhat in disgrace away. The school now wants her
to give her speech to the whole of the school.
But I don't think that really addresses what's at fault here.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
No it doesn't. You're quite right, Gevin. Thank you for that.
Kevin Gray are UK correspondent.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
For more from Hither Duplessy Alan Drive, listen live to
news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Gavin Gray's our UK correspondent, Gavin, Welcome to the show.
Hi there, Rak, who's taking responsibility for this lake of
the thousands and thousands of names of Afghans who applied
to move to the UK when the Teleban took over
back in twenty twenty two.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Somebody from the Ministry of Defense. But we're not being
told a name, we're not actually being told what's happened
to that person. And it's caused a great deal of anger.
So we've learned this week because a gagging order, a
court gagging order preventing any publication of this story has
just been rescinded. And we've only learned this week that
(00:36):
somebody accidentally emailed a spreadsheet of names of those in
Afghanistan who had applied to become to the UK. As
you said, the Taliban, of course took over very very quickly,
chaotic scenes, and there were some in Afghanistan who had
helped British troops the Allied forces by either translating or
(00:57):
by no doubts that are spying within communityies with information.
And those people, of course naturally feared for their life
when the Taliban took over. Now they applied and it
appeared the government had been playing hardball with this, and
yet now we learn that actually somebody had emailed this
spreadsheet out and then the government decided, well, it was
(01:19):
only fair that everyone virtually on that spreadsheet should be
allowed to come to the UK, because of course that
had put their lives at risk. Details are well. Nearly
nineteen thousand had applied to move to the UK. The
previous government learned of the breach in August twenty twenty
three when some of the details appeared on Facebook. A
new resettlement scheme for those on the list was set
(01:42):
up nine months later. Four and a half thousand arrived
in the UK so far, but it is estimated that
there are at least another two and a half thousand
still in Afghanistan. The scheme is being closed down. The
cost so far has been eight hundred and fifty new
million New Zealand dollars. It's likely to cost double that
in the end, and still no response as to who
(02:04):
did this, whether they're still in their job. Quite extraordinary.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Certainly is given. And more than a million people in
the UK receiving benefits were born overseas.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, this has been a really really interesting way both
in which this has been reported, but also in the
figures themselves. So it's long been questioned by those, particularly
anti immigration, those on the right, those trying to save
the UK money, saying, look, how much of our benefits
bill is going to those who were born in the
UK and how much is either going to refugees, asylum
(02:40):
seekers those who have come into the UK were Now
the answers are out. In June, nearly eight million people
received Universal Credit that is like a top up to
help people both employed and unemployed people with living costs,
and eighty three percent were British and Irish nationals. Now,
when you strip that down, more than one million claimants
(03:03):
were born overseas, and that includes seven hundred thousand European
Union citizens who arrived in the UK before Brexit but
have the right to remain and live and work in
the UK. At one point five percent of claimants for refugees,
and seventy five thousand claimants who are in the UK
temporarily and would typically not be able to receive benefits.
(03:26):
I'll also claim in this particular benefit. So you could
look at this and say, oh, well, you know eighty
three percent are British and Irish nationals. First of all,
why are Irish nationals getting it? Some people, I think
we'll ask, But also why are so many people who
weren't burned in the UK allowed to claim this? And
it is a huge sum of money that is going
out in benefits. We've had the big row here over
(03:49):
of course that benefits build a government trying to reduce it,
and now that's been overturned by its own MPs. And
many people just think we've got to get a grip
on this before it spirals even and further out of control.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Is the proportion you know, is a proportion of the population.
Are they the refugees or the immigrants getting more than
you know, what I'm saying is a proportion of the
population Or is anyone saying yeah, it's out of wack.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Well, these figures are slightly askew because to get universal
credit you can also be working, but in a low
paid job, and what the many migrants have low paid jobs,
so you know, it's very difficult to draw out.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
We need more.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Precise figures from the government and I think that's going
to be very difficult to get out of them.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
I saw the story this morning. It's made headlines here
in New Zealand, the Weig girl who was wearing a
Union Jet Spy skill dress, Union Jet dress and was
kicked out of school.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, quite extraordinary. This So this was actually at a
school culture celebration day, so all the children were encouraged
to dress in a way in which it reflected a
culture that they wanted to highlight. And of course, you
know there were lots of being in Rugby in the Midlands,
lots of different ethnic representations. There one girl who is
(05:07):
British and a twelve year old turned up wearing a
Union Jack dress like if you remember, one of the
Spice girls, and also wanted to give a speech as
part of that culture celebration day, to give her speech
about being British, after all we do live in Britain,
but she was denied and sent home. The school has
since apologized and said it was a bit of a misunderstanding.
(05:32):
Offerer and sirius sincere and unreserved apologies. But now campaign's
grown for the head teacher to be kicked out. And this,
I'm afraid is a long line. The last and long
line of stories ride where people have turned up at
events that are supposed to celebrate culture in all its forms,
and yet seem to be a shame to be British.
When it comes to it, I dare say it is
(05:53):
the stigma attached to some elements of the population by
the British flag. The Union Flag represents at times far right.
It said, But really this does seem absolutely extraordinary. And
this only made the news because the father and the
daughter just thought this is a bit unfair and put
it on Facebook, having had to pick his daughter up
(06:15):
early somewhat in disgrace away. The school now wants her
to give her speech to the whole of the school.
But I don't think that really addresses what's at fault here.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
No it doesn't. You're quite right, Gevin. Thank you for that.
Kevin Gray are UK correspondent.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
For more from Hither Duplessy Alan Drive, listen live to
news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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