Shamima Begum’s lawyer stopped ‘two rows away’ from reaching her tent

Shamima Begum’s lawyer was stopped in his attempts to reach her and secure her signature for appeal against the removal of her citizenship.

Tasnime Akunjee travelled thousands of miles to the al-Roj camp in north-eastern Syria to get Begum’s signature on the paperwork, however was held back by Syrian forces.

Mr Akunjee says the changing situation in the camp, which has seen the arrival of a ‘large number of new refugees’ as well as ‘some rioting’ has meant the camp has been locked down, with authorities not letting anyone in or out.

He told Metro.co.uk: ‘It looks like a lock down happened, with orders not to let anyone in or out.

‘I offered to write a letter to her and was told I can’t.’

He said the authorities in charge of the camp are ‘hoping the situation will change’ and when it does he will attempt to reach her.

He said: ‘The appeal process is frustrated for the moment.’

‘I knew which tent she was in, I got aerial photographs. Where I stood in the camp she was about two rows down- she was less than 50 metres from me.’

He said the purpose of the visit was to allow Shamima Begum to see some of the documentation stripping her of her citizenship and to allow her to engage in the appeal process, by signing off documents.

Akunjee spent weeks obtaining the correct permissions to enter the camp.

He arrived in Syria a day after Begum’s newborn son died in the refugee camp. Jarrah was buried three weeks after his birth.

Begum, 19, has been told by the home secretary, Sajid Javid, that she will be stripped of her citizenship after fleeing the UK to join Isis.

The move has been criticised by child welfare advocates, as it would leave her stateless.

Akunjee is now planning to appeal to the UK courts with Begum’s family to examine the legality of Javid’s decision to strip Shamima of her citizenship.