Shamima Begum, a 24-year-old woman, lost her appeal to challenge the removal of her British citizenship at the UK Supreme Court on Wednesday. Begum had left London in 2015 at the age of 15 along with two school friends to travel to Syria, where she married an Islamic State (IS) fighter and gave birth to three children, all of whom passed away as infants.
The British government in 2019 revoked Begum’s citizenship on national security grounds after she was discovered in a detention camp in Syria, according to AFP report. Begum contested the decision, arguing that it was unlawful and that British officials had not adequately considered whether she was a victim of trafficking. However, her argument was rejected by a specialist tribunal in February 2023 and subsequently by the Court of Appeal.
Begum, whose family is of Bangladeshi origin, claimed that the revocation of her citizenship left her stateless in February 2019. The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) upheld the decision to remove her citizenship in February 2023. Begum’s legal team then appealed to the Court of Appeal, contending that the government had neglected its legal obligations to her as a potential trafficking victim. The court, however, ruled that national security concerns took precedence and that Begum had not been left stateless as she retained Bangladeshi citizenship through her mother.
During the SIAC hearing, Begum’s lawyer argued that she had been “influenced” by a “determined and effective” IS group “propaganda machine” along with her friends. The appeal court acknowledged that Begum “may well have been influenced and manipulated by others” but also noted that she could have still made a “calculated decision to travel to Syria”.
It is estimated that around 900 people traveled from Britain to Syria and Iraq to join the IS group, with approximately 150 of them believed to have had their citizenship revoked, according to government figures. In March, a group of United Nations experts called on the UK government to repatriate Begum.
The British government in 2019 revoked Begum’s citizenship on national security grounds after she was discovered in a detention camp in Syria, according to AFP report. Begum contested the decision, arguing that it was unlawful and that British officials had not adequately considered whether she was a victim of trafficking. However, her argument was rejected by a specialist tribunal in February 2023 and subsequently by the Court of Appeal.
Begum, whose family is of Bangladeshi origin, claimed that the revocation of her citizenship left her stateless in February 2019. The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) upheld the decision to remove her citizenship in February 2023. Begum’s legal team then appealed to the Court of Appeal, contending that the government had neglected its legal obligations to her as a potential trafficking victim. The court, however, ruled that national security concerns took precedence and that Begum had not been left stateless as she retained Bangladeshi citizenship through her mother.
During the SIAC hearing, Begum’s lawyer argued that she had been “influenced” by a “determined and effective” IS group “propaganda machine” along with her friends. The appeal court acknowledged that Begum “may well have been influenced and manipulated by others” but also noted that she could have still made a “calculated decision to travel to Syria”.
It is estimated that around 900 people traveled from Britain to Syria and Iraq to join the IS group, with approximately 150 of them believed to have had their citizenship revoked, according to government figures. In March, a group of United Nations experts called on the UK government to repatriate Begum.
Source : Times of India
