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Shamima Begum

Shamima Begum (born 25 August 1999) is a British-born woman who entered Syria to join the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) at age 15. She was a student at Bethnal Green Academy in London when she and two schoolmates – who became known as the Bethnal Green trio – travelled to Syria in February 2015. Begum married a fellow ISIL member ten days after her arrival and had three children who all died young. She developed a reputation as an enforcer amongst other members of ISIL and was responsible for recruitment to the group.

On 13 February 2019, Begum was discovered alive at the Al-Hawl refugee camp in Northern Syria by war correspondent Anthony Loyd. The following day, British Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, revoked her British citizenship. The British government believed that Begum held dual citizenship due to her Bangladeshi parents, but the government of Bangladesh has contested this, and she remains essentially stateless.

Javid stated that Begum would never be allowed to return to the United Kingdom.[6] In July 2020, the Court of Appeal ruled that Begum should be permitted to return to the UK fairly to contest the Home Secretary’s decision by instructing lawyers properly. This ruling was appealed to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, which, on 26 February 2021, ruled unanimously against her, reversing the decision of the Court of Appeal and preventing her return.

At 15, Shamima Begum left London to join the terror group Islamic State. It made global headlines. She and her two friends became known as the Bethnal Green Girls. Four years later, pregnant with her third child, Begum emerged from the ashes of the so-called caliphate, desperate to come home.

She showed little remorse for her time with the group.
The British government decided she was a threat and took away her citizenship, leaving her in a Syrian prison camp.
Her lawyers claim she is a victim of trafficking and should be allowed to return to the UK.

For the first time, she’s given her account of what happened since 2014 to investigative journalist Josh Baker.

He’s been following her story since the day she left, trying to understand what really happened. For more than a year, he’s retraced her journey, piecing together where she went, who she met and what she did while she was living with IS to try and find out the truth about Shamima Begum’s story.

What is citizenship?

Citizenship is a legal status.

If someone is a UK citizen they have the legal right to live in the country, and to have access to services such as welfare, education and healthcare. They can also vote.

Citizenship is also an identity, and often forms part of a person’s sense of self and belonging.

Some people who are not citizens have the right to live in the UK permanently with many of the same rights.

They are said to have “settled status” or “leave to remain”.

How can citizenship be removed?

The government has the power to remove someone’s UK citizenship in certain circumstances:

It is “for the public good” and would not make them stateless
The person obtained citizenship through fraud
Their actions could harm UK interests and they could claim citizenship elsewhere