Shamima Begum’s mother has spoken for the first time about how her “world fell apart” when her daughter fled the country to marry an ISIS militant.
In a statement read at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission on Wednesday, Asma Begum said she thinks about her daughter “almost every hour of every day” since she fled the country.
The hearing is currently underway to challenge the Government’s decision to strip the 23-year-old of her British citizenship after she left the country for Syria seven years ago.
“My youngest daughter is even more present in my mind, the one I think about almost every hour of every day. When she left home in 2015, our worlds fell apart,” her mother said in a statement.
“Her drawers are still full, her perfume, pens and jewellery, her clothes are still there. Her pyjamas are folded neatly.
"Her school blazer is still hanging on the door in the front room, just as it was when she left."
Ms Begum fled the country at the age of 15 with two school friends in February 2015.
After being discovered at a Syrian refugee camp in February 2019, then Home Secretary Sajid Javid, stripped her of her British citizenship on security grounds.
Continuing, her mother said: "On the last birthday she spent with us before she left, she did not want a cake but wanted a pizza with candles on it instead.
"She was so happy that day. On each of her birthdays since she left we order pizza and still celebrate her birthdays.
"It was always sad but we look forward to the birthday party we will have when she is back with us."
Representing the family, Dan Squires KC, said the mother’s statement showed the “powerful indication” of the connection the family still had.
Previously, her legal team argued the decision to strip Ms Begum of her citizenship effectively left her stateless. A tribunal, however, said at the time her British citizenship was revoked, she was a citizen of Bangladesh by descent due to her father.
Mr Squires said that despite her father being of Bangladeshi descent, Ms Begum has never visited the country or have a passport.
He also claimed that authorities in Bangladesh have said they will not help Ms Begum and that she could potentially be hanged if she entered secretly.
In response, Sir James Eadie KC, speaking on behalf of the Home Office said: “It is not appropriate to start from the point at which Ms Begum left the UK, and assume family ties would have remained the same.
"There was, in reality, no equality issue raised by the individual decision in Ms Begum’s case."
