According to major media reports, Layla left Britain to support ISIS during the height of the conflict in Syria in 2014 with her husband, who is now presumed dead. She is seeking permission to return to the UK after suffering serious injuries in an airstrike that left her unable to walk, and she is cared for by her 10-year-old son. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood originally prevented Layla from returning to the UK.
The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) has ruled that the Government acted unlawfully in Layla's case for a second time. ' Successive UK governments have taken a hard line on the issue, warning that individuals who choose to support ISIS must face the consequences of their actions. Security Minister Dan Jarvis recommended in July last year that the child should be repatriated, but stopped short of backing the mother's return to the UK.
I believed she was unlikely to pose an 'unmanageable threat to national security.'
' A Home Office spokesman said they note the court's decision and are considering the judgment, and that the government will always take the strongest possible action to protect national security. The exact legal basis for the SIAC ruling and the next steps in the decision-making process for Layla's return are not specified. Layla remains in a detention camp in northern Syria, where thousands of suspected ISIS members and their relatives remain.
The Government's decision was 'inadequately reasoned,' and a 'more rigorous examination' would be required due to the 'gravity of the consequences.'
'A fresh decision will need to be made,'
We note the court’s decision on this case and are considering the judgment. The government will always take the strongest possible action to protect our national security and our priority remains maintaining the safety and security of our citizens.
I would take a 'precautionary' approach to the case because of the potential 'national security risks'.