Trump will not force UK to take back Shamima Begum amid row over fate of ‘Isis bride’

Begum left her home in Tower Hamlets, London in 2015 and travelled to Syria to join Isis.

In 2019, she was stripped of her British citizenship by former home secretary Sajid Javid and has not been allowed to return.

Gorka said the UK Government should honour its “commitment” to the international fight against the Islamic State terror group by allowing the dozens of Britons in northeast Syria to return home to stand trial and be imprisoned.

However, in a statement first published in the Daily Express, Gorka made his position on the matter clear.

He said: “I will not tell Prime Minister Keir Starmer, or any other of America’s allies what they should or should not do with their own citizens. However, protecting the innocent and fighting evil is an objective every decent person should agree with.”

He had initially been asked by The Times if the UK should be forced to accept back British Isis prisoners and put them on trial, given the volatile situation in Syria since the fall of Assad’s regime.

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Gorka said: “Any nation which wishes to be seen to be a serious ally and friend of the most powerful nation in the world should act in a fashion that reflects that serious commitment.”

The row blew up with foreign secretary David Lammy and opposition leader Kemi Badenoch both weighing in to say they would not agree to Begum being allowed back into Britain.

However, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage told ITV that if the UK’s leading ally asked them to take Begum back, then the UK may have to, although he then reiterated his aversion to the proposed move.

His comment led to public outcry and criticism from his own party, as well as an online attack from Badenoch.

Writing on X, the Tory leader said: “A Conservative Government led by me will never take back terrorists like Shamima Begum who have been stripped of their citizenship. Actions must have consequences or there is no deterrent.”

“Citizenship means committing to a country and wanting its success. It’s not an international travel document for crime tourism.”

Following Gorka’s clarification, Farage told The Independent: “If Britain’s biggest ally does not want us to take Begum back then we definitely should not be doing it. I never supported the idea in the first place.”