Kabul evacuation whistleblower wins unfair dismissal case
Josie Stewart revealed details of the chaotic August 2021 withdrawal from Kabul and emails which suggested then Prime Minister Boris Johnson's had been involved in the evacuation of a pet charity.
She had her security clearance revoked and lost her job after a BBC journalist accidentally identified her as a confidential source on social media.
An employment tribunal, chaired by Judge Andrew Glennie, found she had leaked the information in the public interest and had been unfairly dismissed.
Lawyers for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said Ms Stewart's bosses had been forced to sack her because her security clearance had been revoked and there were no other suitable roles for her.
But Ms Stewart's barrister, Gavin Millar KC, said that if their argument had succeeded it would have driven "a coach and horses through" the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (Pida) aimed at protecting whistleblowers.
In a judgement issued on Tuesday, the employment tribunal said Ms Stewart had been justified in going to the media on a clear matter of public interest.
"The tribunal considered that it was reasonable for the claimant [Stewart] to go to the UK's public service broadcaster when relevant information and/or allegations had already been put into the public domain … and government ministers were publicly disputing them."
Top official admits error in Afghan evacuation row
PM denies authorising animal evacuation from Kabul
The tribunal heard that Ms Stewart had "experienced a culture in FCDO which silences concerns and ostracises those who raise them".
She said her experience of the FCDO's Afghanistan crisis centre in August 2021 "reflected the worst of our political system".
In a statement upon receiving the judgment, she added: "By calling this out, I lost my career.
"The outcome of this case doesn't change any of this, but it has achieved what I set out to achieve: it has established that civil servants have the right not to stay silent when systemic failures put lives at risk, as happened during the Afghan evacuation.
"I hope that, knowing that their colleagues have this right, senior officials will do more to build accountability in government, and speak truth to power when it is needed.
"We can't have a system that says stay silent, no matter what you see, and forces dedicated public servants to choose between their conscience and their career."
Elizabeth Gardiner, chief executive of whistleblowing charity Protect, welcomed the ruling.
"We need whistleblowers to raise matters in the public interest and this case is unusual and hugely significant in finding that a civil servant was justified in going to the press."
She added that the decision had "weighty repercussions for how civil servants can act in the future and their confidence in speaking out when they encounter wrongdoing".
But she said it did not remove the need for better protections for civil servants who raise concerns internally through an "independent statutory commissioner".
An FCDO spokesperson said: "We will review the findings of the tribunal and consider next steps."
Remedies for Ms Stewart's successful complaints will be determined at a future hearing.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
4 hours ago
- The Hill
Ukraine proposes summit with Putin, Trump, Zelensky and Erdogan
Ukraine closed out its third round of direct talks with Russia on Wednesday with a proposal to hold a 'leaders' summit' by the end of August with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Trump. The proposed summit would be held between Zelensky and Putin, and it would include the 'participation' of the U.S. and Turkish presidents, according to a statement from Andriy Yermak, the head of Zelensky's office. Zelensky on Tuesday had again renewed his offer to meet with Putin to negotiate an end to the war, but Putin has rejected previous offers. Ukraine made the proposal in Turkey during the latest round of talks, which yielded few results and left delegations from both countries feeling far away from a deal on a cease-fire or end to the war. 'It is clear that Russia is still not ready to end the war — but there is still time to reconsider and put an end to this madness,' Yermak said in the statement. He said progress was made on humanitarian issues, including on prisoner exchanges and retrieving Ukrainian children who were kidnapped during the war. Rustem Umerov, head of the Ukrainian delegation, told reporters after the talks that 'we have not made progress yet' on a cease-fire, according to multiple media outlets. Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, made similar remarks after the meeting. 'The positions are quite apart from each other,' he said, the news outlets reported. The nations have held two rounds of peace talks in Istanbul so far — on May 16 and June 2 — and the discussions have led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners, but the two have made little to no progress on a potential cease-fire agreement. Since the last round of talks, which took place nearly two months ago, Russia issued a memo outlining conditions for reaching a ceasefire, including having Ukraine's military disarm and agree to Russia's annexation of four regions in Ukraine that were overtaken since Moscow launched its invasion over three years ago, which the Russian military has struggled to maintain. Yermak said in his statement Wednesday that Ukraine, in the latest talks, 'clearly outlined its priorities: a ceasefire, real silence along the entire frontline, and a complete halt to strikes on civilian infrastructure. This is where the path to a genuine peace must begin.' Trump has pressed for forging peace in the region and has in recent weeks been increasingly critical of Putin, saying in a recent interview with the BBC that he is 'disappointed' with the Kremlin's leader, but he's not 'done with him.' Trump announced last week that the U.S. brokered a deal to send more weapons to Ukraine, arms that would be drawn from NATO allies in Europe who agreed earlier this year to increase their investment in defense spending. Trump also warned Putin that he would slap new sanctions on Russia and other countries that purchase Moscow's exports if a cease-fire is not reached within 50 days. Russia has not wavered from its demands and has continued to shell Ukraine, firing off drones and missile attacks that have targeted dozens of cities.
New York Post
8 hours ago
- New York Post
Trump admin to open nation's largest immigration detention center in Texas with $1.2B contract
The Trump administration will open the nation's largest immigration detention center in Texas thanks to a massive contract worth $1.2 billion, according to a report. The feds will be able to hold up to 5,000 illegal immigrants at a time at Fort Bliss Army base in El Paso, Texas, to meet the demands of the rapidly expanding Trump administration's deportation campaign, Bloomberg reported. Shackled migrants walk toward a military transport plane before their deportation from the US. US Department of Defense/AFP via Getty Images The Department of Defense awarded the contract, which ends Sept. 30, 2027, to Virginia-based Acquisition Logistics LLC to set up a tent city on the base. The Trump administration has sought to erect temporary facilities to hold migrants as it attempts to make room for the 3,000-person quota it's seeking to collar each day. The effort has been turbocharged by a new flood of $45 billion for new detention beds from Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The massive spending bill will double Immigration and Customs Enforcement's detention capacity, with the goal of holding 100,000 illegal immigrants at a time as the Trump administration seeks to carry out 1 million deportations each year. ICE opened 'Alligator Alcatraz,' a tent detention center erected by the state of Florida in the middle of the alligator-infested swampland of the Everglades, earlier this month. The feds can currently hold up to 3,000 illegal immigrants there and hope to expand that to 5,000. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also set his sights on two additional military bases, Camp Atterbury in Indiana and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, for the deportation campaign, according to the Associated Press. The Trump administration has set out to deport one million illegal immigrants each year. AFP via Getty Images 'We're looking for any available bed space we can get that meets the detention standards we're accustomed to,' Trump's border czar Tom Homan said Friday. 'The faster we get the beds, the more people we can take off the street,' he added. Fort Bliss has previously been used for immigration purposes, housing unaccompanied migrant kids and Afghan refugees following the US withdrawal from the war-torn country, according to Stars and Stripes.
USA Today
9 hours ago
- USA Today
Fort Bliss once housed refugees, now set for largest ICE deportation center
President Donald Trump's administration is planning on using the Fort Bliss Army Post as a mega-hub for the deportation of immigrants in the United States. The El Paso military post will hold up to 5,000 migrants scheduled for deportation, according to the latest version of the plan. The plan was first made public during a former U.S. Secretary of the Army's visit to Fort Bliss and El Paso in late March 2025. The Department of Defense announced the awarding of a contract on July 18 to establish and operate the detention center for single adults targeted for deportation. The detention facility is scheduled to be completed by Sept. 30, 2027. The contract was awarded to Acquisition Logistics LLC, of Henrico, Virginia. The facility will be just off of Montana Avenue behind the CBP facility on the periphery of Fort Bliss' federal land. The land is the site known as Site Monitor, according to Fort Bliss Deputy Committee General Paul Krattiger. In the past, the post has housed refugees, prisoners of war and been used for a Japanese internment camp during WWII. The Trump administration's intent to use the Army post for immigration would be the first time in history that the Army post has been used to detain immigrants for deportation. Fort Bliss is the largest single employer in El Paso, with the Army Post employing nearly 50 thousand residents, according to the city of El Paso. The Army Post contributes around $24 billion to the economy. Here is what you need to know about the history of refugees and internees housed at Fort Bliss: Afghan refugees — 2021 In response to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, Fort Bliss served as a temporary housing location for Afghan refugees as part of "Operation Allies Welcome," with Doña Ana Village housing thousands of evacuees before their resettlement across the United States. Aug. 25, 2021 — Afghan refugees begin arriving at Fort Bliss after the Taliban toppled the government of Afghanistan. Oct. 7, 2021 — Refugees housed at the post increase to nearly 10,000. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, tours the refugee camp as part of a congressional delegation. Jan 3, 2022 — The roughly 1,100 refugees housed at Doña Ana Village have now found permanent homes around the United States. More: Trump's first 30 days: Deported Guatemalan migrants suffer, White House touts progress Unaccompanied migrant children — 2021 Fort Bliss served as an emergency intake site for unaccompanied migrant children in 2021. The facilities were opened by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Refugee Resettlement. This was not the first time that the Army post was considered to house an unaccompanied minor. There were discussions in the first Trump administration to house unaccompanied minors on the post. March 23, 2021 — The Biden administration announces that the Department of Defense received a request from Department of Health and Human Services to expand the posts available to house unaccompanied minors arriving at the border, including the use of Fort Bliss. March 30, 2021 — The emergency intake site at Fort Bliss opens, receiving 500 migrant boys. It is designed to provide beds for up to 5,000 unaccompanied boys and girls 13-17 years of age. More: US Rep. Veronica Escobar visits immigration detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Mid-May 2021 — Concern is raised by insiders at the Fort Bliss intake site about the conditions children face. The conditions were called "unacceptable" by the "volunteers" from federal agencies and local non-governmental organizations. Aug. 31, 2021 — There are 2,301 minors housed at the post, according to HHS. Sept. 2021 — The company contracted to manage the shelter, Rapid Deployment Inc, holds a contract for nearly 1 billion, in spite of accusations of mismanagement of the site. May 30, 2022 — The facility is transformed into a influx care, providing shelter for boys and girls arriving at the border. Sept. 2023 — The facility is downsized and eventually closed. Unaccompanied minor migrants — 2016 Fort Bliss opened a shelter for unaccompanied migrant children at the post's Doña Ana Range Complex near Chaparral, New Mexico. The facility opened at a time when the administration of President Barack Obama saw a sharp increase in the arrival of unaccompanied children from Central America at the border. The shelter can house up to 3,200 children between the ages of 13 and 17. Sept. 6, 2016 — The temporary shelter at Fort Bliss opens amidst a sharp increase in unaccompanied migrants arriving at the border. Nearly 500 children arrive in the first weeks. The location at Fort Bliss was chosen because of its proximity to the border and other permanent shelters. March 1, 2017 — The facility at Fort Bliss is closed by the Trump administration because of a decrease in the arrival of unaccompanied minors at the southern border. The facility closes a month ahead of schedule. World War II internment camps — 1942 Fort Bliss became the site of an internment camp following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941. The exact date of the opening of the camp is unknown, but the camp likely opened in February or March 1942, according to the Texas Historical Commission. The first and second generation Japanese immigrants were held at the Army post under the U.S. Alien Enemies Act of 1798 as they awaited a hearing. The camp was located at the northern edge of Fort Bliss' Logan Heights. February-March 1942 — Internment camp at Fort Bliss opens. May 2, 1942 — 29 Japanese, 18 Germans and nine Italians are held in the internment camp at Fort Bliss, according to the Texas Historical Commission. All were likely from western states, with a number of Japanese Americans being from New Mexico. November 1942 — The internment camp at Fort Bliss is closed. Exile of President Victoriano Huerta — 1915 General Victoriano Huerta carried out a coup d'état against Mexican President Francisco Madero in February 1913. He held power until July 1914, when he was forced to resign and went into exile, a period marked by the former president's efforts to regain power. July 15, 1914 — Huerta resigns the presidency. July 20, 1914 — He goes into exile from Mexico. He leaves the country aboard a German cruiser, the Dresden. April 12, 1915 — Huerta arrives in the United States, intent on carrying out a coup d'état in Mexico to reclaim the presidency. More: Trump's military deportation flights cost more, carry fewer migrants June 26, 1915 — Huerta is arrested by U.S. Army Colonel George H. Morgan, who was accompanied by 25 soldiers and two U.S. marshals at the train station at Newman, New Mexico. He is charged with sedition and imprisoned at Fort Bliss because of security concerns. June 27, 1915 — The former Mexican president is released after paying a $15,000 bond. But he spends the next few months in and out of Fort Bliss. December 8, 1915 — Huerta is moved to Fort Bliss because of concerns that he would flee to Mexico. Jan. 13, 1916 — The former Mexican president dies of either cancer or cirrhosis of the liver in prison at Fort Bliss. He is buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in El Paso. Mexican Revolution Refugees — 1914 Fort Bliss housed nearly 6,000 Mexican refugees at the height of the country's revolutionary war after Francisco 'Pancho' Villa attacked the capital of the State of Chihuahua. The total cost for the U.S. government was $740,000, according to John Hamilton, the former command historian for the Air Defense Artillery at Fort Bliss. Nov. 5, 1913 — The revolutionary forces of Francisco "Pancho" Villa attack Chihuahua City, Mexico, forcing thousands of Mexican army troops and their families, and other refugees to flee towards Ojinaga on the U.S.-Mexico border. Jan. 10, 1914 — Battle of Ojinaga ends with Villa's troops capturing the city. Around 6,000 refugees cross the border to Presidio, Texas, where they surrender to Maj. M. M. McNamee and the U.S. 15th Cavalry. Jan. 14, 1914 — The Mexican refugees begin walking the 67 miles to Marfa, Texas in harsh weather, where they were to be placed on trains to head towards Fort Bliss. More: Suspects detained in killing of Mexican immigration agent Jan. 20, 1914 — Mexican refugees arrive in Marfa, Texas, where they board trains for Fort Bliss. Jan. 22, 1914 — All refugees arrive in Fort Bliss camp. There are nearly 600 tents brought to the 48-acre refugee encampment, which is encircled by barbed wire. Refugees receive food and medical attention, including vaccinations for smallpox and typhoid. April 18, 1914 — Two Mexican refugees are shot by soldiers during unrest fueled by anger over the Tampico incident — The incident involved the detention of U.S. soldiers by Mexican forces and the subsequent occupation of Veracruz by the U.S. One, Jesus Pallares, was shot while trying to flee the camp while the other, Jesus Zarco, was shot breaking lights in the encampment. Pallares would die from his wounds. April 27, 1914 — War Department issues orders to move the refugees to Fort Wingate, New Mexico. May 1914 — Refugees are transferred to an encampment at Fort Wingate, New Mexico. September 1914 — Some refugees began returning to Mexico. Mormon Refugees — 1912 Mormons began forming colonies in northern Mexico in the late 1800s, settling in the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora. But as the Mexican revolution exploded in 1910, increasing anti-American sentiment put pressure on the Mormon settlers. Fort Bliss in 1912 was involved in humanitarian service to Latter-day Saint refugees displaced by the early years of the Mexican Revolution. The refugees were never housed on the post. The Mormon mass exodus began in the summer of 1912. More: 'They're part of El Paso now': Desert bighorn sheep return to Franklin Mountains July 29, 1912 — 500 Mormon refugees crossed over the border into El Paso at midnight, marking the beginning of the exodus from Mexico due to threats. Another 2,000 Mormon refugees followed. July 30, 1912 — The 22nd Infantry Band performs in honor of the Mormons and other refugees in Cleveland Square. At the centennial program, the military post's 1st Armored Division Band performed some of the same selections that the post's band had entertained the refugees with back in 1912. Aug. 2, 1912 — Latter-day Saint leaders issue a letter thanking the citizens of El Paso for their welcome to the border town. 1848 — Fort Bliss is established in El Paso Jeff Abbott covers the border for the El Paso Times and can be reached at:jdabbott@ on Twitter or @ on Bluesky.
