London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 04, 2025

UK govt says ‘every effort was made’ to destroy papers naming Afghan embassy workers, amid anger over 'data protection blunder'

UK govt says ‘every effort was made’ to destroy papers naming Afghan embassy workers, amid anger over 'data protection blunder'

In a frantic rush to abandon their embassy, British diplomatic staff in Kabul left papers strewn around, some of which detailed the names and contacts of local embassy staff still in Afghanistan, the Times has reported.
On Thursday evening, the Times claimed that its journalists had found papers identifying Afghan staff at the British diplomatic mission, as well as job applicants, inside the now-abandoned Kabul embassy. The papers were found by the reporters as Taliban troops patrolled the building and posed with abandoned treasures.

According to the Times, documents found in the embassy on Tuesday identified seven Afghans. Phone calls to the numbers detailed on the papers revealed that some of them and their families remained in the war-torn country, on the wrong side of the Kabul airport fence.

The story has shocked many, with some asking how incompetent the Foreign Office must be to put its own Afghan staff at risk of reprisals from the Taliban regime.

“Are we deliberately trying to get people killed?” one person asked on social media, questioning the ability of the Foreign Office to keep people safe. Another asked how the embassy staff could be so “stupid,” claiming the first thing they should have done is to shred documents or take them with them. “Shouldn't be surprised documents also left at bus stops and on trains,” they added, a reference to the occasional penchant of British state officials for leaving classified documents in public places.

One Twitter user labelled it a “Data Protection blunder of the highest order,” adding that “Heads must roll.” Another called it “a terrible indictment” of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), noting that such logistics and management issues are the basics of every diplomatic endeavour.

Others said the report highlighted that the British government clearly “doesn't care” about the Afghan people and their fate under the new regime. “As a nation, can we be any more irresponsible towards people to whom we owe a debt of honour?” one user inquired.

The FCDO responded to the report on Friday, stating that an inquiry will take place and insisting that “every effort was made to destroy sensitive material.” A source in the government said they had thanked the Times for sharing their report, and claimed that the staff and their families who were identified as being left outside Kabul airport were found and rescued.

The fate of at least of at least two job applicants, whose details were among those strewn around the embassy, remains unknown.

The British government said on Thursday that it had evacuated a total of 13,146 people from Afghanistan since the Taliban captured Kabul, and vowed to continue its operations despite increased security concerns following two deadly Islamic State suicide bombings that same day.

A statement from the Ministry of Defence on Friday said the UK had entered the final stage of its evacuation efforts from Kabul, adding that “no further people will be called forward to the airport.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
×