'I didn’t hate Britain, I hated my life': Shamima Begum says she is willing to face trial in the UK

22 November 2021, 12:26

Shamima Begum has insisted she did not "hate Britain" when she fled to join Isis, claiming she left because she felt "very constricted" living in the UK.

The former Isis-bride also denied any involvement in terror activities, repeating her plea for a chance to fight for her return to the UK in court.

The 22-year-old said she has "hopes and dreams" but has no plan B if the British citizenship of which she has been stripped is not reinstated.

She remains in the al-Roj refugee camp in Syria, which she said has become "more scary" to live in.

She said: "For a long time it wasn't violent but for some reason it's become more scary to live here.

"Maybe the women have got tired of waiting for something."

She told Sky News: "I'm willing to fight them in a court of law but I'm not being given a chance."

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"I didn't hate Britain, I hated my life really. "I felt very constricted, and I felt I couldn't live the life that I wanted in the UK as a British woman."

She said when she goes to sleep she thinks of "my children dying, the bombings, the constant running, my friends dying".

Her comments come after it was revealed that individuals could be stripped of their British citizenship without warning under a proposed rule change added to the nationality and borders bill.

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Clause 9 or the "Notice of decision to deprive a person of citizenship" allows the government to not give notice if it is not "reasonably practicable" to do so, raising questions ability to appeal.

The Home Office said: “British citizenship is a privilege, not a right. Deprivation of citizenship on conducive grounds is rightly reserved for those who pose a threat to the UK or whose conduct involves very high harm.

"The nationality and borders bill will amend the law so citizenship can be deprived where it is not practicable to give notice, for example if there is no way of communicating with the person.”