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UK government faces pressure and controversy over British ISIS members

10 January 20253 views0

The UK must take back its citizens currently detained in Syrian prison camps for their involvement with Isis, according to Sebastian Gorka, Donald Trump’s incoming counter-terrorism chief. He warned that failure to do so could jeopardize the UK’s “special relationship” with the United States.

Gorka emphasized that any country wanting to be recognized as a serious ally of the U.S. must actively support the global fight against extremist groups by repatriating their nationals. This includes Shamima Begum, who left Bethnal Green, east London, for Syria at age 15 in 2015. She recently lost her final appeal against the revocation of her British citizenship.

In an interview with The Times, Gorka said, “Any nation that wishes to maintain a serious and cooperative relationship with the world’s most powerful country must demonstrate commitment. For the UK, this obligation is especially significant given its unique standing with President Trump.”

Currently, around 20 British women, 40 children, and 10 men are detained in camps in northeastern Syria. In 2021, President Joe Biden urged the UK to take responsibility for these individuals, calling it a “moral obligation.” However, the Biden administration did not link this issue to bilateral relations, unlike the tougher stance now signaled by Trump’s team.

When asked about Sebastian Gorka’s remarks, Foreign Secretary David Lammy firmly ruled out the return of Shamima Begum to the UK. “Shamima Begum will not be coming back to the U.K. It’s gone right through the courts. She’s not a U.K. national,” Lammy told ITV. “We will act in our security interests. And many of those in those camps are dangerous, are radicals.”

Lammy also stated that any ISIS-linked Britons who did manage to return from Syria would “have to be, frankly, jailed as soon as they arrived.”