World: Begum lives in Syrian camp as UK citizenship dispute continues

SHAMIMA BEGUM, 26, remains behind the high walls of al-Roj detention camp in northwest Syria, living on donations from friends and family in the United Kingdom while she fights a long legal battle to regain British citizenship and return home. The camp, run by the Syrian Democratic Forces, houses thousands of women and children linked to Islamic State members, and Begum has become the focal point of a global debate over how to handle citizens who joined extremist groups as minors.

According to sources familiar with Begum’s living conditions, she receives up to about £400 per month from supporters in the UK, money that is wired into a makeshift camp bank and used to top up her mobile phone and purchase items from a small shop area that sells groceries, clothing, toys and even cosmetics. Several outlets in the camp offer Western-styled goods, including fake designer trainers, reflecting a marketplace that has grown to cater to the camp’s largely Western-looking detainees. Begum’s daily life in the camp is described as more comfortable than the typical refugee setting, though she has frequently described the camp as grim or worse than a prison.

Begum is housed in a spacious tent that she lives in alone, outfitted with a television, satellite dish, running water and electricity. A portion of the tent is a kitchen, and like other inmates she has a gas cooker that is refilled weekly. Staff and NGO workers in the camp say Begum enjoys a level of basic comfort that includes access to a souq just outside the camp and clothing or parcels sent by her relatives in London. The camp has a school and a 24-hour health center where specialists such as ophthalmologists and dentists are on call, underscoring the scale of the facility, which houses roughly 12,000 women and children who are primarily relatives of fallen or imprisoned ISIS members.

Begum’s appearance and presentation have become part of the broader controversy surrounding her case. She has been photographed in Western-style outfits, including Primark clothing and Nike trainers, and has reportedly had her hair cut and styled by fellow female detainees who provide manicures and other beauty services. In recent public appearances she has worn a mask and appeared pale and thinner, giving a stark contrast to the image she projected in earlier years. Her appearance has fed into ongoing public discussion about whether she should be allowed to return to the United Kingdom, a decision that is ultimately for UK authorities to determine.

The case sits within a broader political context. Begum was a schoolgirl who traveled to Syria in 2015 to join ISIS and later became a child bride to Dutch convert Yago Riedijk, with whom she had three children who died in infancy. She was stripped of British citizenship by Home Secretary Sajid Javid in 2019, prompting a protracted legal and public-relations campaign to reverse the decision. Begum’s supporters argue she was trafficked to Syria as a minor and should be allowed to appeal her case in Britain. Her lawyers contend that she was under coercion and acted under duress rather than out of voluntary allegiance to ISIS.

According to people who have interacted with Begum at al-Roj, she has largely refrained from giving interviews, following legal advice. A Kurdish translator who previously worked in the camp said Begum has declined on-record interviews but remains accessible to visitors. Filmmaker Andrew Drury, who knew Begum for 18 months, described a marketplace within the camp where clothes and cosmetics—some of them sourced from outside broadcasters courting interview access—are available. He noted that Begum and other detainees could sometimes access items smuggled in by guards or donated by supporters, and that the shop sells goods that imitate Western brands.

Al-Roj is a high-security environment with a supervising force that coordinates deliveries of aid and services to detainees. Rashid Omar, the camp’s director, has described Begum as one of the few inmates who has chosen not to wear a niqab, calling her decision a sign of courage given the security challenges involved. He and others have described Begum as a relatively cooperative detainee who has not actively pursued public attention; nonetheless, her case remains a touchstone in debates about the fate of Western citizens who joined extremist movements as minors.

The political discourse surrounding Begum intensified after the Trump administration suggested in late 2010s and early 2020s that Britain should consider taking back citizens in Syria to demonstrate its commitment to international counterterrorism efforts. The comments drew responses from UK figures such as Nigel Farage, who indicated a shift in his position on Begum’s return. Begum herself told reporters that she would not comment on questions about her return after such discussions, telling a Daily Express reporter that she had nothing to say and leaving the scene.

Beyond her personal circumstances, Begum’s case has raised questions about the responsibilities of home governments toward dual-nationals or citizens who joined extremist movements abroad as minors. Legal arguments around trafficking, duress, and the legitimacy of citizenship revocation have been central to Begum’s attempts to regain status in Britain. Her supporters argue that the humanitarian and legal complexities of her situation require careful, rights-based handling that does not simplify the issue to a blanket refusal to repatriate.

As Begum remains in limbo, the world watches a case that sits at the intersection of counterterrorism, international law, and human rights. Her eventual status—whether she will be allowed to return to the United Kingdom or remain in Syria—depends on a sequence of UK court rulings and policy decisions that continue to unfold in a high-stakes political landscape.