British ‘children of ISIS’ could become terrorists if left in Syria, says former judge

British ‘Children of ISIS’ Could Become Terrorists if Left in Syria, Former Judge Warns

UK Government Urged to Repatriate Youngsters Held in “Inhuman” Syrian Camps

November 12, 2025

A former senior judge has warned that children of British citizens who joined ISIS could become “serious terrorists” if the UK fails to repatriate them from Syrian detention camps.

Sir Declan Morgan, chairman of the Independent Commission on Counter-Terrorism Law, Policy and Practice, said that with up to 40 British-linked children stranded in Syria, the UK has a moral and legal duty to bring them home and provide education and rehabilitation.

Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, Sir Declan said, “These children are effectively stateless. The danger is that they could grow up to become serious terrorists. We can’t just hope this problem disappears—we must face our responsibility as a nation.”

The children, most under the age of 10, are the sons and daughters of about 10 British men and up to 20 British women held in Syrian camps or detention centres.

Former attorney general Dominic Grieve, who co-authored the commission’s report, said Britain’s refusal to repatriate them was an outlier among Western nations. “The United States, Canada, and Australia have all managed this process,” he said. “The UK stands out for refusing to do so—and the long-term consequences could be severe.”

Mr. Grieve later told The National that while some detained men remained committed extremists, “there is a serious concern that their children could follow the same path if left without help.”

France and other European nations have already repatriated more than 1,200 citizens from the camps, despite internal controversy.

Among the most high-profile cases is Shamima Begum, who left London at 15 to join ISIS in 2015. She had three children in Syria—all of whom died—and continues to fight a legal battle to regain her British citizenship, revoked in 2019 on national security grounds.

More than 900 Britons travelled to Syria during the civil war, with roughly half later returning. Only 18 children and three women have been formally repatriated since the collapse of ISIS in 2019.

The commission’s report described the UK’s continued inaction toward the remaining 70 detainees as “increasingly untenable.” It cited UN findings that camp conditions are “inhuman, dangerous, and degrading,” and noted that many women and children were victims of “coercion, trafficking, or exploitation.”

The report called for a “coherent, humane, and security-conscious” repatriation strategy combining prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration. Such an approach, it argued, would uphold human rights while safeguarding national security.

Meanwhile, in the UK, police on Tuesday charged 18-year-old Chafik Aziz from south London under terrorism laws after he allegedly attempted to travel to Syria to join ISIS.

In Germany, three Syrian men were sentenced to prison terms ranging from four and a half to nearly 10 years for their roles in a rebel group later linked to ISIS.