Shamima Begum ‘not coming back to UK’, says Lammy following Trump ally’s call

Shamima Begum will not be returning to the UK, David Lammy said following calls from Donald Trump’s incoming counter-terrorism chief for the repatriation of British members of so-called Islamic State (IS) being held in Syrian prison camps.

Sebastian Gorka said any nation which wishes to be seen as a “serious ally” of the US should commit to the international fight against the extremist group by taking back citizens currently languishing in the north east of Syria.

But the Foreign Secretary said the Government would “always put British security interests first and the safeguarding of our population”.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said repatriation of British nationals who went to join Isis in Syria would be dealt on a “case-by-case basis” dependent on national security interests.

Ms Begum was 15 when she travelled from Bethnal Green, east London, into territory controlled by IS in 2015.

She was “married off” to an IS fighter and was stripped of her British citizenship in February 2019.

The upheaval in Syria following the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime has put the future of the camps holding IS-linked prisoners in doubt.

The Syrian Democratic Forces, the anti-Assad group allied with the West, has been guarding tens of thousands of captured foreign IS members and their children in sprawling camps and detention centres.

The Times reported that Ms Begum is one of up to 20 women, 40 children and 10 men from Britain being held in camps.

Mr Lammy told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “Shamima Begum will not be coming back to the UK. It’s gone right through the courts. She’s not a UK national.

“We will not be bringing her back to the UK. We’re really clear about that.

“We will act in our security interests. And many of those in those camps are dangerous, are radicals.”

Some of them, if they were to return to the UK, “would have to be, frankly, jailed as soon as they arrived”, he added.

In an interview with The Times, Mr Gorka said: “Any nation which wishes to be seen to be a serious ally and friend of the most powerful nation in the world should act in a fashion that reflects that serious commitment” when asked if the UK should be forced to accept Isis members back.

“That is doubly so for the UK which has a very special place in President Trump’s heart and we would all wish to see the ‘special relationship’ fully re-established.”

Sir Keir said Mr Gorka’s remarks had been “slightly overwritten”.

Speaking to the BBC, he added: “The principles that we will apply here are obviously each case will have to be determined on a case-by-case basis.

“But I can be absolutely clear from the outset, my driving principle will be ‘what is in our national security?’. That’ll be the single most important determinant as we go through this exercise.

“So it’ll be a case-by-case basis. I think what he said has been slightly overwritten, or at least that’s what he thinks. But it’s important that I answer your question by saying the driving principle, the number one question will be, what’s in our national security, what’s in our national interest when these decisions are taken?”