Shamima Begum loses appeal against removal of British citizenship

Shamima Begum, a former British schoolgirl who chose to join the Islamic State, has been unsuccessful in her attempt to challenge the ruling that revoked her British citizenship.

Begum went to Syria when she was 15 years old in 2015. Her country decided to take away her citizenship because they suspected it could compromise national security. This happened right after she was discovered in a refugee camp in Syria during February 2019.

The decision against the 24-year-old was not overturned by the special immigration appeals commission last year.

Begum's legal representatives filed a request to reverse the ruling at the appeals court, while the Home Office objected to the argument.

On Friday, all three judges presiding over the case ruled against her.

The leader of the appeal court, Dame Sue Carr, mentioned that all the judges rejected Begum's plea, reaching a mutual decision. She added that one may argue that the ruling on Miss Begum's case was too severe.

One could make the point that Miss Begum is responsible for her own mistakes. However, it is not the court's place to express agreement or disagreement towards either perspective.

Our sole responsibility is to determine if the decision to withhold something was illegal. After careful consideration, we have determined that it was not and, therefore, we reject the appeal.

The lawyers representing Begum presented five reasons why they believed that Siac made an incorrect decision when they dismissed her argument that Sajid Javid, who was the home secretary at the time, was mistaken in stripping her of citizenship in 2019. However, the judges ultimately disagreed with all of her claims, even ruling that the duty to uphold equality in the public sector did not apply in situations involving national security.

The judges also determined that Javid had taken into account the claim of Begum's legal team that she had been a victim of child trafficking and that he had the authority to decide if she posed a threat to the national security of the UK.

The judges did not believe that the former minister had a duty to think about the possibility of making the person stateless as there was no way for her to go back to her parents' home country of Bangladesh.

According to Begum's lawyer, Daniel Furner, they will continue to fight for her rights. He stated that he made an assurance to Begum and the government that they will not give up the battle until justice is served, and she returns home safely.

The Home Office spokesperson declared their contentment with the Court of Appeal's decision to support their stance on the matter.

Our topmost concern is to ensure the safety and protection of the United Kingdom. We will strongly stand by any choice that is made in accomplishing this goal.

The leader of Reprieve, a non-governmental organization that advocates for British women who are being held in northeast Syria, expressed her disapproval of the situation. Maya Foa confidently stated that ministers who choose to harass a young trafficking survivor, rather than admit their own responsibilities, should feel ashamed. She also criticized the act of revoking citizenship as an atrocious and impractical policy, meant to gain popularity without considering the greater good.