London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 01, 2026

UK Supreme Court denies ISIS bride Shamima Begum right to return to fight for her citizenship back

UK Supreme Court denies ISIS bride Shamima Begum right to return to fight for her citizenship back

British-born Shamima Begum, who fled the UK to join the Islamic State in 2015, should not be allowed to return home to challenge the British government's revocation of her citizenship, the country's Supreme Court ruled Friday.

Begum and two friends travelled to Syria via Turkey in 2015 to join the Islamic State, where she later married an IS fighter.

"The Supreme Court unanimously allows all of the Home Secretary's appeals and dismisses Ms Begum's cross-appeal," Lord Reed of Britain's Supreme Court said, announcing the decision on Friday.

Police handout showing CCTV footage of Shamima Begum.


"The right to a fair hearing does not trump all other considerations, such as the safety of the public," adding that "vital public interest" precluded the case from being fairly heard on British soil.

Reed suggested the deprivation hearing be stayed, or postponed, until such time that Begum is no longer deemed a threat to the British public, admitting that this is "not a perfect solution," while declining to give a specific timeline.

"But there is no perfect solution to a dilemma of the present kind," Reed added.

Begum is currently being held in a detention camp in Syria where she has lived since the British government stripped her citizenship in 2019. A Court of Appeal previously said she could only have a fair hearing to appeal that decision if she were permitted to return to the UK but that decision has now been overruled.

Despite her being pregnant at the time of her discovery in the refugee camp, then-UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid classified her as a security threat and revoked her citizenship.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) found that Begum had illegally been rendered stateless, as she was not entitled to Bangaldeshi citizenship.

Since leaving the Islamic State, she has claimed she was "just a housewife" adding that her two previous children had both died. Her third child is believed to have perished shortly after he was born.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Royal Mail Keeps First-Class Stamps at £1.80 and Second-Class at 91p
Church of England Prepares Formal Apology Over Historical Forced Adoptions
UK Competition Regulator Caps Veterinary Prescription Fees at £21
UK Aviation Authorities Roll Out Airspace Changes to Reduce Flight Delays
England Makes School Allergy Policies Mandatory Under Benedict’s Law
England and Wales Tighten Child Safeguarding Checks by Removing Supervision Exemption
Cornwall Geothermal Plant Begins Commercial Power and Lithium Operations
UK Inflation Holds Near 2.9% as Energy Costs Remain a Risk
UK Productivity Growth Averages 1.1% Over Two Years, Resolution Foundation Says
England Introduces Nationwide School Smartphone Ban and Uniform Limits
UK Gives Border Officers New Powers to Seize Migrants’ Mobile Phones
Green Party Wins First Westminster By-Election in Gorton and Denton
UK and EU Advance Gibraltar Border Deal Allowing Spanish Guards to Conduct Arrival Checks
Robert Jenrick Joins Reform UK After Losing Conservative Whip
Andy Burnham Faces First Prime Minister’s Questions After Labour Cabinet Overhaul
ScottishPower Recycles Nearly All Materials From Historic Hagshaw Hill Wind Farm
Millions Travel Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland for Summer Bank Holiday
Met Office Issues Yellow Thunderstorm Warnings Across Southern England
Four Arrested After Bank Holiday Stabbing Violence in Kettering
Scottish Chamber of Commerce Warns Tax and Business Costs Risk Holding Back Scotland
UK Government Launches Youth Employment Drive With Major Retailers
UK and Ukraine Advance AI and Defence Technology Partnership
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Moves to Exclude Serious Offenders From Early Release
Twelve Arrested After A66 Crash Kills Seven, Including Two Police Officers
Bank of England Governor Warns AI Investment Boom Could Trigger Global Market Correction
London Science Museum Ends Long-Running BP Sponsorship
Scottish Homeowners Prepare Valuation Challenges Over Proposed Mansion Tax
UK Prosecutors Consider Charges Against Undercover Police in Spycops Scandal
James Cleverly Leaves Shadow Cabinet to Run for London Mayor
Avanti West Coast Drivers Agree 3.6% Pay Rise, Averting Strike Action
Allianz Explores £5 Billion Takeover of British Roadside Assistance Group AA
UK Government Retreats From Plan to Unfreeze Personal Income Tax Threshold
Northern Ireland Leaders Press UK Government for Sustainable Funding Settlement
UK Health Agency Warns Nationwide Salmonella Outbreak Could Worsen
NHS Warns Autism and ADHD Assessment Costs Have Become Unsustainable
UK Rejects Moratorium on AI Data Centres Despite Energy and Water Concerns
Thames Water Creditors Offer Government Golden Share in £10 Billion Rescue Plan
UK Warns Defence Executives of Russian Assassination and Sabotage Threats
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% Amid Inflation Risks
UK Restricts Early Prison Release for Serious Offenders as Jails Near Capacity
Genetic Study Finds Medieval Britain’s ‘Conquest Man’ Had Scandinavian Origins
Kemi Badenoch Plans Conservative Frontbench Reshuffle After Cleverly Departure
Nissan Sunderland Plant Highlighted as Key Economic Anchor for North East England
UK Arts Report Finds Women Face Persistent Barriers to Career Progression
Private Equity Consolidation of UK Veterinary Practices Raises Consumer Cost Concerns
South West Water Ranked Worst in England for Environmental Performance
British Train Drivers Secure 3.6% Pay Rise, Averting Strike Threat
UK Prosecutors Consider Charges Against Officers in Undercover Policing Scandal
James Cleverly Leaves Conservative Shadow Cabinet to Run for London Mayor
Allianz Explores £5 Billion Takeover of British Roadside Assistance Group AA
×