UK Government Rejects U.S. Call to Repatriate ISIS Members from Syria

Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirms Shamima Begum and others will not return, prioritizing national security over U.S. ally's request.

Shamima Begum, a former British national who joined ISIS at 15, will not be allowed to return to the UK, according to Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Lammy emphasized that the UK government's priority is national security and safeguarding its citizens, stating many detainees in Syrian camps are dangerous radicals.
Donald Trump's incoming counter-terrorism chief, Sebastian Gorka, urged the UK to repatriate its citizens to support the international fight against ISIS and strengthen U.S.-UK relations.
Begum, stripped of her UK citizenship in 2019, lost multiple legal appeals, including a final Supreme Court decision, leaving her stateless.
Approximately 70 British nationals, including women, children, and men, remain detained in Syrian prison camps, with their future uncertain following regional instability and the fall of the Assad regime.