Shamima Begum, once a schoolgirl from Bethnal Green Academy in the United Kingdom, embarked on a journey that would later become emblematic of the challenges posed by the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS).
In 2015, at the age of 15, she left her London home with two friends, traveling to Syria to join the self-proclaimed Islamic State. Now, seven years later, Begum is fighting to recover her citizenship, which was revoked by the British Home Office due to her alleged terrorist links.
Begum's journey began on February 18, 2015, amid the advancement of ISIS. Using funds acquired from stolen family jewels, she, along with her friends, boarded a flight from London's Gatwick airport to Istanbul, Turkey. The trio then crossed the border into Syria, entering the territories of ISIS, where they married foreign jihadists.
Journalist Richard Kerbaj's book, published in 2022, suggests that Begum and her friends were facilitated in their journey by Mohammed Al-Rashed, who allegedly worked as an informant for Canadian security services, managing a human trafficking network for ISIS.
Begum's whereabouts remained unknown until the end of the Syrian war when journalist Anthony Lloyd found her in a Kurdish-controlled jihadist detainee camp. She expressed a yearning for her Dutch husband, also detained but in a different location. Tragically, she lost her third child a week later.
The British Home Office revoked Begum's citizenship on national security grounds. Despite considering obtaining Bangladeshi nationality, her father's place of origin, Bangladesh declined. Over time, Begum has undergone a transformation, as evident in her 2021 statement on ITV's Good Morning Britain, where she asserted that her initial intentions were not violent, believing ISIS to be an Islamic community.
Presently, Begum, at 22 years old, is caught in legal limbo, residing in a Syrian camp without any nationality. The British Supreme Court's 2021 ruling deemed her ineligible to return and legally fight for residency, rendering her stateless.
In Spain, there is a contrasting approach to citizens linked to ISIS, with plans for repatriation underway. However, the situation is starkly different in the United Kingdom, where reluctance to repatriate nationals is apparent, affecting numerous families in Syrian camps.
A legal process has commenced in London, with an immigration appeal for a potential case review. Lawyers argue that Begum was a victim of human trafficking, manipulated by ISIS propaganda into marrying a combatant. The proceedings aim to determine whether the revocation of her nationality considered her status as a human trafficking victim.
Shamima Begum's case encapsulates the complex legal and moral dilemmas surrounding individuals who joined extremist groups, sparking debates on citizenship, security, and the responsibilities of nations in dealing with their citizens involved in terrorism.
