Shamima Begum is our problem – the government cannot just wish her away

A hardline on crime is how Boris Johnson’s government is set up, but should that not mean making people face the consequences of their actions, asks Chris Stevenson

Shamima Begum speaking to Good Morning Britain from Syria (GMB/ITV/PA)

So Shamima Begum has asked the UK public for forgiveness. The London schoolgirl who ran away to join Isis aged 15 has said that she is sorry “from the bottom of my heart”.

Speaking during an interview on Good Morning Britain, the now 22-year old said that she wished to return and would face court and that she would “rather die than go back to IS [Isis]”.

Currently in the Kurdish-controlled Roj camp in Syria, Begum had her British citizenship revoked in 2019. She is accused of having engaged in terrorist acts while being involved with Isis, something she refutes. Sajid Javid, who was home secretary when the decision was made, has said that while the decision was not a simple one it was “absolutely the right decision to protect the British people”. This was based on “the advice of my department but also our intelligence agencies”.

Begum told the GMB: “I am willing to go to court and face the people who made these claims and refute these claims, because I know I did nothing in IS but be a mother and a wife.”

Begum is not the first defector from Isis to claim they knew nothing about the actions of the group – and won't be the last – stating that she was “groomed and taken advantage of and manipulated”. Whether that was true or not, Begum was certainly at an impressionable age when she fled. Beyond this specific case, it cannot be refuted that a person can go through significant changes between the ages of 15 and 21.

I agree with my colleague Patrick Cockburn – who has been reporting on the Middle East for decades – that if Begum is seen as a security risk and has a definite case to answer then she should be brought home and tried over the accusations she faces. The government is clearly doing itself few favours by opening the door to a narrative that Begum is being hounded by authorities who care little for her current situation. A hardline on crime is how Boris Johnson’s government is set up, but should that not mean making people face the consequences of their actions? Or are we saying we need to leave certain problems for others to deal with?

The government is looking to ignore the issue until it goes away. Even the UK Supreme Court, in denying Begum the chance to return to appeal the stripping of her citizenship said that her appeal should have been delayed until she could effectively participate in hearings. “That is not a perfect solution, as it is not known how long it may be before that is possible,” the court said. “But there is no perfect solution to a dilemma of the present kind.”

That is true – and the government would just rather not think about it. Whatever Begum has done – and certainly her apology should be treated critically given the lack of regret she has previously expressed – the government cannot just wish her away. The UK needs to take responsibility.