Former ISIS Member Shamima Begum Loses UK Citizenship Appeal
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A judge ruled on Wednesday that UK citizenship would not be restored to the former British national of Bangladeshi descent. Begum joined the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria at age 15. She was stripped of her British citizenship by the UK Home Secretary in 2019.
Since the fall of the ISIS caliphate, Begum has been held in various camps run by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). Currently, she is held at Roj camp, which holds around 2.600 former ISIS members. A majority are foreign nationals. The AANES has repeatedly called for their repatriation.
Since her arrest in 2019, Begum has repeatedly appealed against the UK government’s decision and asked to be repatriated in order to challenge it in person. Human rights groups say the government’s move was illegal, as it left Begum stateless.
Begum has received widespread media attention in Europe. Most recently, she was the subject of a BBC documentary film and a podcast series. Since her arrest, the now-23-year-old has denounced ISIS and said she regrets her decision to join the extremist group.