Among the most alarming revelations in recent days concerning Britain’s mishandling of its responsibilities towards Afghans who supported our troops, one issue stands out: not a single individual has been held accountable for the systemic failures following the UK’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Despite the dangerous leak of thousands of names, no senior official has faced consequences—attention has been deflected from those tasked with overseeing secure communication to lower-level personnel.
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Award-winning journalist Holly Bancroft has reported extensively on these failures, including repeated instances where the Ministry of Defence (MoD) failed to protect sensitive data. One such case led to the department being fined by the Information Commissioner for breaches connected to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP). Even after the leak, time that could have been used to protect those at risk was instead spent pursuing a superinjunction, rather than focusing on evacuation efforts.
The Independent has consistently highlighted how Afghan allies remain abandoned, even as the government had years to act. Some officials claimed former Afghan special forces were not paid by Britain—assertions later disproven. In another instance, a single official reportedly rejected 1,500 ARAP applications without reviewing them properly, revealing a pattern of careless indifference. The government’s response appears more focused on avoiding embarrassment than fulfilling moral obligations.
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While a small number of affected individuals have been allowed to remain in the UK—such as the Afghan pilot who crossed the Channel in a small boat and was nearly deported—many others are still waiting in Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Iran. This ongoing neglect is indefensible. The prime minister and defence secretary John Healey must now take decisive action, not only to bring those left behind to safety, but also to hold to account those responsible for this deeply troubling failure of duty.
