NO WAY BACK

Teen who fled to Syria won’t be rescued amid terrorism fear She admits ‘no regrets’ over going to war zone to wed jihadi

the girls pose “no threat”. He said: “As a father I would say to the British government please let the girls back and give them some kind of teaching.

“They were just teenagers when they left. They should be allowed to learn from their mistakes.”

Mr Hussen, of Stepney, came to Britain as a refugee from Ethiopia in 1999. He added: “I’m very happy the British government gave me refuge here. I hope they will let my daughter back in if she is still alive.

“It’s been very hard these past few years without her.”

Former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, Lord Carlile, pointed out Begum will have to be allowed back by law. He said: “It is not possible under international law for a person to be rendered stateless.” But he said it was unlikely she would be allowed to return quickly – implying that it could not happen before the birth of her baby.

In terms of charges she could face, he said: “She could be prosecuted if there is evidence that she supported or was a member of a banned organisation, and so-called Islamic State is a banned organisation.”

Macer Gifford, a Brit who fought alongside Kurdish forces battling IS, also warned: “We need to remember that although she was young when she left, we don’t know what she did when she was there. She supported her husband who was a jihadi, who took part in military operations. And she is still a threat to the UK.”

Begum revealed she got married 10 days after arriving in Raqqa and had a “normal life... every now and then bombing and stuff ”. But she said: “The caliphate is over. There was so much oppression and corruption that I don’t think they deserved victory.”

Begum left Raqqa in January 2017 with her husband and headed to Baghuz. Her children, a girl aged a year and nine months old and a threemonth-old boy, both died recently.

She fled Baghuz two weeks ago as it was attacked by Syrian Democratic Forces. Her husband surrendered and she has not seen him since.

The Home Office said it did not comment on individuals but anyone who returns after travelling to IS territory faces criminal investigation.