LW is a story about young Somali men who grew up in the West but ended up as lost al-Shabab warriors. They have since regretted their involvement and have deserted al-Shabab. They are hiding in Mogadishu and other Somali cities, trapped in a deadly limbo between al-Shabab and their sympathisers in Somalia, who want to kill them for deserting.The film follows the warriors closely as they face their central dilemma: Should they try to return to their western countries and face imprisonment and, most likely, deportation? Or should they stay in Somalia and try to build a new life and accept the constant risk of getting killed by al-Shabab? Like so many other deserters, the main character, Mohammed Ali Omar (MAO), is trapped between the violence of al-Shabab and western legislation. No one wants the militant warriors back, and MAO’s situation is further complicated by the fact that he never obtained British citizenship despite the fact that he came to England as a young boy. Back in East London he has a wife, Fathi, whom he married when she was visiting Mogadishu, and a son he has never met. As the film progresses, MAO and Fathi realise that the chances of them seeing each other again are slim to none, and then what will happen?Over the course of the film’s telling, we become witnesses to the profound dilemma of the lost warriors. Through their stories we get an understanding of the men, their motivations and their hopes. We watch them make each their own, disparate decisions. While some join new militant groups for protection and survival, MAO arrives at the only decision left that will allow him to see his family again, which is to join the stream of immigrants heading for Europe.The film seeks to open the debate about the dilemma that Europe and other western governments face: No country wants to receive a potential terrorist, but by refusing to reintegrate these lost warriors, do we not risk having them hide amongst refugees? Or creating new terrorists?