The UK Supreme Court has rejected the request of Shamima Begum, a British-born woman who traveled to Syria to join ISIS, to return to challenge the government's decision to strip her of her citizenship on security grounds.
According to Agence France-Presse, Chief Justice Robert Reed stated in the ruling, "Ms. Begum's appeal against the entry ban is denied." The unanimous decision by the five judges in Begum's case marks a significant judicial test of how countries handle citizens who have joined jihadist groups. The judges noted that Begum's right to a fair trial does not outweigh other considerations such as public safety, and that the ban on her return should remain in effect until she can participate "without endangering public safety." They added, "This is not the ideal solution, as it is unclear how long it will take for that to be possible. However, there is no perfect solution to such a dilemma."
Begum, now 21 years old, left London in 2015 at the age of fifteen and traveled to Syria via Turkey with two school friends, where she married an ISIS fighter. In 2019, she told The Times newspaper that she had no regrets about going to Syria and was "unbothered" by the sight of a severed head found in the garbage. She indicated that she married a Dutch man who converted to Islam upon their arrival in ISIS-controlled territory. She was found to be nine months pregnant in a refugee camp in Syria in February 2019.
Currently, she is in a camp under dire conditions, while her husband is believed to be imprisoned in Syria. Her infant died weeks after birth, and her other two children, born in Syria, also died in the ISIS territory. The then-Home Secretary Sajid Javid stripped her of her citizenship for national security reasons amid a wave of condemnation led by right-wing newspapers. Begum, who is detained in a camp in Syria, was stripped of her British citizenship in 2019, but a court of appeal previously ruled that she could only challenge the revocation if she were allowed to return to Britain.
The spokesperson for the UK Prime Minister stated that Boris Johnson welcomed the Supreme Court's decision, adding, “We are pleased with the unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court. As we said before, the government prioritizes maintaining our national security, and decisions regarding the stripping of individuals of their citizenship are not taken lightly.”
It is noted that hundreds of citizens from European countries have left for Syria to join ISIS and have had children; many have died, while others remain in camps controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces, as several countries refuse to allow their return under the pretext of national security threats. Despite the UK denying Begum's return, the United States and several European countries have accepted the repatriation of their citizens accused of joining the extremist group abroad, with some facing charges in their home countries.
