The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has reopened the case of Shamima Begum, the so-called “ISIS bride” who was stripped of her British citizenship in 2019 after joining the Islamic State. The decision has reignited national debate in the UK over citizenship and national security, with critics warning of foreign interference in British sovereignty.
Begum left London in 2015 as a teenager to join ISIS in Syria, along with two friends. She later ended up in a Syrian detention camp following the collapse of the Islamic State. During interviews in 2019, she expressed little remorse for her decision, once stating that she was unfazed by seeing a decapitated head because it belonged to an “enemy of Islam.” Her remarks sparked widespread outrage, leading to her citizenship being revoked by the UK government.
Begum and her legal team have since made several appeals in British courts to overturn the decision, all of which have been unsuccessful, including a Supreme Court ruling. Her lawyers are now appealing to the ECHR, claiming that the UK failed to consider whether Begum had been groomed or trafficked before joining ISIS.
The ECHR has now requested the UK government to explain whether its actions complied with the court’s human rights obligations. Once both sides submit written arguments, the ECHR will decide whether to hold a full hearing.
Critics of the court’s intervention argue that it undermines national sovereignty. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called the move “outrageous,” stating that a foreign court should not dictate British national security policy. He said Begum “must not be allowed back,” and reiterated his party’s position that the UK should leave the ECHR altogether.
Chris Philp, home affairs spokesman for the Conservative Party, echoed that sentiment, declaring that Begum has “no place” in the UK. He highlighted the atrocities committed by ISIS, including rape, murder, and persecution of minorities, which Begum chose to support by joining the group.
Robert Jenrick, another senior Conservative figure, suggested that if European courts are so concerned for Begum, she should be granted citizenship by a European Union member state instead. “She can go and live in Belgium, Luxembourg, or Strasbourg,” he said. “Most people in this country rightly do not want someone associated with ISIS coming here to live among us.”
The case is unfolding as debates around citizenship and immigration dominate British politics. The UK government recently faced criticism for quietly granting citizenship to a controversial Egyptian blogger imprisoned in his home country, only for calls to rise for his deportation upon arrival.
With the ECHR now stepping into the fray, the Begum case could become a flashpoint in broader tensions over British identity, international law, and the limits of foreign influence on domestic policy.
