Warning: This article contains discussion of child and sexual abuse which some readers may find distressing.
More than five years after she initially had her UK citizenship revoked, Shamima Begum's hopes of returning to her place of birth have now been revived.
Begum was just 15 when she fled the UK to join the Islamic State terrorist organisation ISIS in Syria back in 2015.
Despite being a teenager, Begum married an Islamic State fighter shortly after arriving in Syria and later gave birth to three children, none of whom have survived.
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She was later barred from entering the UK, having her citizenship revoked on national security grounds in 2019, and she suggested that she never expected to return home.
However, she later suggested that she had been groomed as a young teenager, and this soon prompted a discussion of whether the woman, now 26, is a victim or a genuine terror threat in the UK.
Begum has been stranded in a Syrian camp ever since former Home Secretary Sajid Javid took away her British citizenship, but now she might just have another chance of being accepted back into England after the European Court of Human Rights formally challenged Britain’s decision.
Gareth Peirce, the lawyer representing Begum, said: “Strasbourg’s communication presents an unprecedented opportunity for the UK as well as for Ms Begum – to grapple with the significant considerations raised in her case and ignored, sidestepped or violated up to now by previous UK administrations."
The European Court of Human Rights seemingly suggest that Begum may well have had her human rights violated in Britain's decision back in 2019, with the Home Office now asked to justify that call on the Jihadi bride.
Other lawyers for Begum claim that this is now an 'unprecedented opportunity' for her to return, but politicians in the UK are committed to keeping her out.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “Under no circumstances should Begum ever step foot in the UK again.
“She chose to get into bed with ISIS terrorists and must now live with the consequences. We don’t need a foreign court in Strasbourg to tell us who can or can’t come into this country."
The Home Office has been asked whether British authorities failed to protect Begum when she was a teenager, whether or not she was truly trafficked to Syria and whether her lack of citizenship would undermine any future investigation into trafficking.
Mr Peirce asserted that it was 'impossible to dispute' that Begum was 'lured, encouraged, and deceived for the purposes of sexual exploitation'.
He said that there was a 'catalogue of failures to protect a child known for weeks beforehand to be at high risk when a close friend had disappeared to Syria in an identical way and via an identical route'.
Begum had lost her final appeal back in 2024, but this formal challenge might just renew her hopes of returning home.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.
Topics: Shamima Begum, Terrorism, UK News
James Moorhouse