A senior Conservative MP has challenged the new Labour government to guarantee that Shamima Begum, the woman who travelled to join ISIS as a teenager, will never be permitted to return to the United Kingdom.
European Court Intervention Sparks Political Row
The demand from Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp comes after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) formally intervened in the long-running case. The court has asked the UK Home Office to explain whether its decision to strip Begum of her British citizenship breached human rights and anti-trafficking laws.
Shamima Begum, who was raised in London, left the UK in 2015 at the age of 15 to travel to territory in Syria controlled by the Islamic State group. She was found in a Syrian refugee camp in 2019, at which point the then-Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, revoked her citizenship on national security grounds.
Mr Philp, according to reports, stated he will question the new Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, in the House of Commons, seeking a firm commitment that Begum will not be allowed back. He urged the government to fight the ECHR case 'tooth and nail'.
Lengthy Legal Battle and National Security Stance
Begum's citizenship revocation triggered a complex and protracted legal fight. Although she lost appeals at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission in February 2023 and the Court of Appeal in February 2024, her legal team subsequently took the case to the European Court of Human Rights.
The ECHR has now presented the Home Office with a series of pointed questions. These include inquiries into whether depriving Begum of her citizenship violated Article 4 of the European Convention, which prohibits slavery and forced labour, and whether the UK had jurisdiction over her at the material time.
The Home Office has consistently defended its position, stating the decision was made to protect national security and that it will 'robustly defend any decision made to protect our national security'.
Political Consensus Against Return
Mr Philp's stance reflects a broad political consensus against Begum's return. He described ISIS as a 'violent terrorist regime' and stated that 'people who support that kind of organisation are not welcome in the UK'.
His views were echoed by other senior Conservatives. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said 'Shamima Begum should never step foot on British soil again', warning against allowing a 'foreign court to meddle in our national security'.
Former security minister Sir Ben Wallace, who was involved in the original case, was unequivocal, telling the Express: 'She wasn't a victim. She knowingly and freely joined ISIS and assisted them... She deserved to lose her citizenship.'
Begum, now 26, remains at the al-Roj camp in northern Syria as her London-based legal representatives continue to challenge the government's decision through the European court system.
