Relatives of Afghans whose names were accidentally leaked by a UK official three years ago have told the BBC they fear retribution by the country's Taliban rulers. Rahim - not his real name - says his father-in-law learned on Tuesday that his name was on that list - alongside those of thousands of Afghans who had applied to be relocated to the UK after the Taliban seized power in 2021.

Thousands of Afghans, including many who worked with British forces, have been secretly resettled in the U.K. after a leak of data on their identities raised fears that the Taliban could target them.

The government said that information about 18,000 Afghans was accidentally revealed in 2022. A legal order had prevented any reporting on the subject.