The spokesperson added that an independent review, known as the Rimmer review, commissioned by the Defence Secretary John Healey found: “It is highly unlikely that merely being on the spreadsheet would be grounds for an individual to be targeted.”
This week, Healey announced the lifting of a super-injunction that made it illegal to both publicise the leak and refer to the existence of the court order.
That came after the completion of the Rimmer review, which concluded: “There is little evidence of intent by the Taliban to conduct a campaign of retribution against former officials.”
The largest lawsuit is being prepared by Barings Law, a firm that has more than 1,000 Afghan clients, according to The Times.
It is unclear how many of those clients are currently in Afghanistan.
The leak occurred when an unnamed official emailed the spreadsheet outside of the government team processing Afghan relocation applications and it made its way into the public domain.
Knowledge of the leak only emerged in August 2023, when the names of nine people who had applied to move to the UK appeared on Facebook.
One of those affected by the leak is Ahmed – not his real name – who worked for the British military in Afghanistan and was brought to the UK for his own safety.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he discovered on Tuesday that his own family members, who have remained in Afghanistan, were on the list of leaked names.
His relatives are “moving home to home” and “keeping low profiles” to protect themselves, he said.
He dismissed the idea that compensation could make amends, adding: “The first thing we need from the government, and [are] expecting – they should swiftly take action and bring our families to Britain or to a third country where they feel safe.”
He added it was a “distressing and worrying situation” for the family.
The Taliban leadership continues to face international isolation due to its human rights abuses, especially those targeting women. Russia is the only country that recognises the current Afghan government, and the British embassy to Kabul has remained close since the Taliban takeover in 2021.