A new independent report has called on the United Kingdom to facilitate the voluntary return of former ISIL member Shamima Begum and other British nationals living in Syrian detention camps. The report warns that current UK policies are increasingly untenable as detainees live under “inhuman, dangerous, and degrading” conditions.

UK Report Highlights Urgent Need for Repatriation

The Independent Commission on UK Counter-Terrorism Law, Policy and Practice stressed that the UK government’s approach to nationals and former nationals held in Syrian camps fails to meet humanitarian standards.

“The government should facilitate voluntary repatriation for British nationals, including those deprived of British nationality,” the commission stated.
“A coherent, humane, and security-conscious repatriation strategy would strengthen compliance with international obligations and promote long-term public safety and social stability.”

The report specifically highlights the infamous al-Hol and al-Roj camps, where detainees, particularly women and children, are at risk of coercion, trafficking, and exploitation, even if some were previously involved in terrorism-related activity.

Shamima Begum’s Case at the Center

Shamima Begum’s case remains central to UK policy on revoking citizenship for nationals who joined armed groups in Syria. Begum left London in 2015 at age 15 with two school friends and subsequently married an ISIL fighter. She gave birth to three children, all of whom died in infancy.

In 2019, the UK revoked her citizenship shortly after she was discovered in a Syrian detention camp. Begum challenged the decision, but her appeal was rejected in February 2024. Born in the UK to Bangladeshi parents, she does not hold Bangladeshi citizenship.

Begum has admitted she joined a proscribed terror group knowingly and has expressed remorse, stating that she was “ashamed” of her past actions.

Humanitarian Conditions in Syrian Camps

Citing the United Nations, the report described camp conditions as inhuman and unsafe, with detainees suffering from deprivation, violence, and inadequate care. Between 55-72 UK-linked individuals, including 30-40 children, remain in these camps.

The commission criticized the UK’s reluctance to repatriate nationals, noting that this stance has made the UK an outlier among comparable countries. The report warns that failing to act could be counterproductive to long-term security interests, leaving vulnerable nationals in hazardous conditions.

“Pressure from the US government, changes in the Syrian regime, and repatriations by other states may force the UK to reconsider its policies,” the report added, cautioning that without action, Syrian camps risk becoming “Britain’s Guantanamo.”

Calls for a Strategic and Humane Approach

The commission urges the UK to develop a structured, security-conscious repatriation plan that balances national security with humanitarian obligations. Such a strategy, the report emphasizes, would strengthen compliance with international law, protect children and vulnerable adults, and prevent prolonged suffering in Syrian detention camps.