Security sources have warned that up to 100 extremists and their children could enter Britain if jihadi bride Shamima Begum is allowed to return from Syria.
Begum, who left London in 2015 to join Islamic State as a schoolgirl, previously lost several legal battles to return to Britain after her citizenship was revoked on national security grounds.
Born and raised in Tower Hamlets in east London, Begum married an IS fighter after travelling to Syria and had three children, all of whom died young.
The previous Government stripped her of British citizenship, arguing that she posed a threat to national security if she returned home.
"If Shamima is allowed back in it could open the floodgates to 100 others," sources told The Sun on Sunday.
The potential influx would place significant strain on UK security services, which are currently monitoring individuals in Syrian camps who have claims to UK citizenship.
Begum, 25, currently resides in a Syrian detention camp after leaving her east London home to join IS almost a decade ago.
Her lawyer Tasnime Akunjee has recently suggested that her hopes of return have been "bolstered" following Assad's fall.
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The Home Office maintains a firm position on the matter, with an insider stating: "We won't be overturning the decision."
"Our priority remains maintaining the safety and security of the UK," a Home Office spokesperson said.
Richard Hermer, who became Attorney General under Sir Keir Starmer's government, had previously described the stripping of Begum's citizenship as "draconian."
She challenged the removal of her citizenship in 2019, but the Supreme Court rejected her appeal in 2021.
A further attempt to bring the case back to the Supreme Court was unsuccessful in March this year.
Consequently, she has since remained in the Roj refugee camp, controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish militia.
Akunjee warned that if the Roj camp closed, Begum would be in danger of being "bled out" into the northern Syrian desert.
He said that this situation would strengthen the legal argument against the Government's decision to deprive her of citizenship.
"The proportionality [argument] is bolstered [by the current situation]. It gives weight to the impact the court's decision has had on her," Akunjee told The Telegraph.
The lawyer suggested that the camp's potential closure would likely be a "relevant factor" in any future court judgment, adding: "Watch this space."
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Begum, who left London in 2015 to join Islamic State as a schoolgirl, previously lost several legal battles to return to Britain after her citizenship was revoked on national security grounds.
Born and raised in Tower Hamlets in east London, Begum married an IS fighter after travelling to Syria and had three children, all of whom died young.
The previous Government stripped her of British citizenship, arguing that she posed a threat to national security if she returned home.
"If Shamima is allowed back in it could open the floodgates to 100 others," sources told The Sun on Sunday.
The potential influx would place significant strain on UK security services, which are currently monitoring individuals in Syrian camps who have claims to UK citizenship.
Begum, 25, currently resides in a Syrian detention camp after leaving her east London home to join IS almost a decade ago.
Her lawyer Tasnime Akunjee has recently suggested that her hopes of return have been "bolstered" following Assad's fall.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
- Minister refuses to rule out allowing Shemima Begum to return to UK following fall of Syria regime
- Shamima Begum's hopes of UK return 'bolstered' by fall of Assad
- Shamima Begum loses final bid to challenge removal of British citizenship
The Home Office maintains a firm position on the matter, with an insider stating: "We won't be overturning the decision."
"Our priority remains maintaining the safety and security of the UK," a Home Office spokesperson said.
Richard Hermer, who became Attorney General under Sir Keir Starmer's government, had previously described the stripping of Begum's citizenship as "draconian."
She challenged the removal of her citizenship in 2019, but the Supreme Court rejected her appeal in 2021.
A further attempt to bring the case back to the Supreme Court was unsuccessful in March this year.
Consequently, she has since remained in the Roj refugee camp, controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish militia.
Akunjee warned that if the Roj camp closed, Begum would be in danger of being "bled out" into the northern Syrian desert.
He said that this situation would strengthen the legal argument against the Government's decision to deprive her of citizenship.
"The proportionality [argument] is bolstered [by the current situation]. It gives weight to the impact the court's decision has had on her," Akunjee told The Telegraph.
The lawyer suggested that the camp's potential closure would likely be a "relevant factor" in any future court judgment, adding: "Watch this space."
Find Out More...