Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Chris Hughes

Three children from jailed Islamic State families handed to Britain to start new life

Three British children from jailed Islamic State families have been handed over to start a new life in the UK, The Mirror can reveal.

They were transferred to British officials on Monday.

It is thought the children spent some time in Erbil, Kurdistan.

The children, who cannot be identified, will be brought to the UK and given medical and psychological assessments before starting a new life.

The Daily Mirror understands they will join British families.

It is believed around 60 children with a claim to being British are still territories abroad.

According to Save the Children, last year the UK repatriated four children.

The charity has blamed some EU states and the UK, Canada and Australia, for not having done enough to repatriate
their citizens.

In September 2020, the UK rescued a four-year-old British orphan, believed to be a girl.

In November 2019 a number of orphaned children whose parents were affiliated to ISIS were repatriated.

However several Western countries have been reluctant to do so due to legal and security risks.

They are also facing and domestic opposition to the repatriation of ISIS suspects.

Many former British adults who joined Islamic State are fighting legal bans on returning to the UK.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office was approached for a comment.

Get the latest news direct to your inbox. Sign up to one of the Mirror's newsletters

Shamima Begum, who left the UK as a 15-year-old from London, says she will regret joining the Islamic State group for the rest of her life.

She told the BBC it would be a waste to let her “rot” in a foreign camp.

Begum, now 22, is accused of playing an active role in IS which she denies. She has had her UK citizdenship revoked.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.