Shamima Begum loses appeal to regain UK citizenship

M10News – Shamima Begum, who left the UK to join the Islamic State group in Syria when she was 15, has lost her appeal to regain her British citizenship.

The Court of Appeal ruled on Friday that the government’s decision to revoke her citizenship was lawful and did not make her stateless.

Begum, now 24, argued that she was a potential victim of trafficking and that her banishment violated her human rights. She also claimed that she faced a risk of torture or death in Syria, where she is currently detained in a refugee camp.

However, the judges dismissed her appeal, saying that the government had a legitimate interest in preventing her from returning to the UK, as she threatened national security.

They also said that she could apply for citizenship in Bangladesh, where her parents are from, or seek legal aid from the UK consulate in Syria.

Begum (right) as she left London for Syria with two friends

Begum’s legal team said they were “extremely disappointed” by the ruling and vowed to continue fighting for her justice and safe return. They said they would seek permission to appeal to the Supreme Court, the highest court in the UK.

The case has sparked a heated debate in the UK about the rights and responsibilities of those who join extremist groups abroad.

Some have argued that Begum should be allowed to return and face trial, while others have said that she forfeited her right to British citizenship by joining IS.

Begum was one of three schoolgirls from Bethnal Green Academy who travelled to Syria in February 2015.

She married a Dutch IS fighter, Yago Riedijk, and had three children, all of whom died in infancy. She was found in a refugee camp in February 2019, nine months pregnant with her third child, who also died shortly after birth.

Begum said she wanted to return to the UK to give her son a better life and that she regretted joining IS. She said the group brainwashed her and did not take part in any violence. However, she also said she did not regret going to Syria and that she was unfazed by seeing severed heads in bins.

The UK government has stripped more than 150 people of citizenship since 2016, mostly on national security grounds.

However, Begum’s case is the most high-profile and controversial one, as it involves a child who was groomed online and a decision that could leave her stateless.

Sola Adeniji

News Reporter, Freelancer, and content creator

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