Shamima Begum, once a schoolgirl who joined ISIS at just 15, may soon be released from the Syrian detention camp where she has been held after losing her British citizenship. The 26-year-old’s fight to return home has been a legal and political battleground, particularly after her citizenship was revoked due to national security concerns. Now, in the al-Roj camp in Syria, Begum’s situation remains precarious as her legal team appeals to the European Court of Human Rights.
Struggle for Return to the UK
Begum, who left her London home in 2015 to join the Islamic State group, is caught in a complex international legal struggle. Her citizenship was stripped in 2019, and she has since lived in the “dangerous” camp, located in northeastern Syria. Her attempt to regain British citizenship through legal channels failed when the UK’s Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that her case lacked sufficient grounds. Despite these setbacks, Begum’s legal team continues to press on, arguing that she may have been a victim of trafficking.
Begum’s current legal battle focuses on whether her removal of citizenship considered her potential victimization, with her lawyers arguing that other nations have repatriated their citizens from similar camps. “It is a matter of grave concern,” her legal representatives said, “that British women and children have been arbitrarily imprisoned for years without trial, while other countries have intervened.”
In 2025, reports surfaced that Begum had been selling food parcels she received in the camp, using the proceeds to buy clothing and hair dye. Despite facing public rejection from UK officials, including Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, who has promised she will never return, Begum remains hopeful that her legal team can change the tide.
The Fates of Her Fellow ISIS Brides
Shamima Begum’s legal and personal saga intersects with the stories of her two fellow ISIS recruits, Kadiza Sultana and Amira Abase, who were also teenagers when they traveled to Syria. Both were top students at Bethnal Green Academy in East London before they, alongside Begum, became part of the notorious “ISIS brides” cohort.
Details about the lives of Sultana and Abase within ISIS remain murky. Sultana, the oldest, married an American fighter and expressed a desire to return to the UK in an emotional phone call with her sister. Tragically, she is believed to have died in a Russian airstrike in 2016, although this has never been independently verified. Legal representatives of her family noted that Sultana seemed to have quickly realized that ISIS propaganda did not reflect the harsh reality of life in the caliphate. As she contemplated escape, the brutal punishment faced by those attempting to flee ISIS territory weighed heavily on her decision-making.
Abase, who had married Abdullah Elmir, an Australian ISIS fighter, also kept in contact with her family via social media before her communication abruptly ceased. While her mother feared the worst, Begum has insisted that Abase is still alive. The last known details about Abase’s life within ISIS came after her husband was killed in a drone strike in 2015.
Begum, herself married to a Dutch ISIS fighter named Yago Riedijk, had three children with him, all of whom died under tragic circumstances. Despite the many challenges, she continues to cling to the hope of returning to the UK, even though it appears increasingly unlikely as her legal options narrow.
With the Syrian regime regaining control over much of the country, and the fate of those in camps like al-Roj still uncertain, the future for individuals like Begum, Sultana, and Abase is deeply intertwined with the shifting geopolitics of the region. As Begum’s case continues to unfold, the UK and European courts may soon be forced to make difficult decisions about the return of former ISIS members and their families.
