The home secretary says he "will not hesitate" to prevent the return of a British teenager who ran away to join Islamic State as a schoolgirl.

Sajid Javid issued the warning to Shamima Begum and others who fled the UK to join the terror group in Syria after it was revealed she is heavily pregnant and wants to come back.

Mr Javid said: "We must remember that those who left Britain to join Daesh were full of hate for our country.

"My message is clear - if you have supported terrorist organisations abroad I will not hesitate to prevent your return.

Image: Sajid Javid said Shamima Begum could be prevented from returning to the UK

"If you do manage to return you should be ready to be questioned, investigated and potentially prosecuted."


In response to Mr Javid's comments, Labour's shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said: "We are not in favour of making people stateless.

"However, if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that anyone who is entitled to return to this country either committed or facilitated acts of terrorism, they should be fully investigated and where appropriate prosecuted.

"Our priority must always be public safety. We need proper safeguards particularly if the individual is associated with an international terrorist group. All significant risks must be thoroughly assessed."

Shamima Begum, 19, was found by The Times newspaper at a Syrian refugee camp where she admitted she does not regret joining IS and described being unfazed at the sight of a severed head during her time with the group.

:: More British women who joined Islamic State identified at Syria camps

She was one of three schoolgirls, along with Kadiza Sultana and Amira Abase, from Bethnal Green Academy in east London who left the UK for Syria in February 2015.

Kadiza Sultana was reported to have been killed in an airstrike in 2016.

:: Islamic State brides - where are they now?

Image: Amira Abase, Kadiza Sultana and Shamima Begum fled the UK in 2015

Amira's father Hussen Abase told Sky News the teenagers "made a mistake" and "should be forgiven" because they did not know what they were doing.

"Teenagers don't contemplate things, they can be easily tricked," he said.

Mr Abase said none of the girls should face charges for their actions because they were teenagers when they left the country and had not committed any crime.

'The girls made a mistake'

He said their ages at the time of fleeing home made them "vulnerable" to be "tricked" into travelling to Syria.

Asked if he thought Shamima Begum presented a danger to British society having spent time with IS, he replied: "Not at all."

He added: "Twisted minds can be straightened with teamwork with the government and family.

The IS wives trying to go home

More Britons who joined Islamic State - mainly women - are believed to have been identified at Syrian camps in the last few days.

Sky sources say it is only thought to be a small number but there could be more British nationals who have yet to be identified.

A Sky News poll asking if Shamima Begum should be allowed to return to the UK found that 76% think she should not, 16% believe she should and 8% did not know.

:: A nationally representative sample of 1,001 Sky customers were interviewed by SMS on 14 February 2019 about Shamima Begum.

Data are weighted to the profile of the population. Sky Data is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. The results of the survey can be found here here.