In a recent decision, the UK’s Supreme Court has ruled that Shamima Begum will not be allowed to challenge the removal of her British citizenship. Begum, now 24, had hoped to overturn the government’s decision which was made on national security grounds after she travelled to Syria as a teenager to join the Islamic State group.
The judges at the Supreme Court concluded that her case did not present an arguable point of law, thus denying her the chance to appeal against an earlier Court of Appeal ruling. This decision marks her final opportunity to challenge the revocation of her citizenship within the UK legal system. However, Begum’s legal team has announced plans to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Begum, who left her home in Bethnal Green, east London, with two friends in 2015, was later discovered in a Syrian refugee camp. During her time in Syria, she married an Islamic State fighter and had three children, none of whom survived. In 2019, then-Home Secretary Sajid Javid stripped her of British citizenship, citing national security concerns, which left her stranded in a camp in northern Syria under armed guard.
Shamima Begum and husband Yago Riedijk on Marriage : BBC 2 Documentary ‘The Shamima Begum Story’
Her attempts to reverse this decision have been unsuccessful at multiple levels. Last year, she lost an appeal at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC). Following that, the Court of Appeal also dismissed her bid to regain her citizenship in February. An initial bid to challenge the decision at the Supreme Court was lost in March, leading to her final attempt being directly appealed to the Supreme Court justices.
In their ruling, Lords Reed, Hodge, and Lloyd-Jones found that the grounds of her case did not legally challenge the decision to revoke her citizenship. They emphasised that the issue of her not being able to contest the decision before it was made did not constitute a valid legal argument.
Despite this setback, Begum’s legal team remains determined. They stated, “We will take every possible legal step” to restore her citizenship, which includes appealing to the ECHR in Strasbourg. They also highlighted concerns about British women and children being detained in Syrian camps without trial, urging the UK government to follow the example of other countries that have repatriated their citizens.
Maya Foa, director of the human rights charity Reprieve, criticised the government’s stance, describing it as political rather than legal. She urged for a change in approach, advocating for the repatriation of British families in similar situations so their cases can be dealt with domestically. Amnesty International UK’s refugee and migrant rights director, Steve Valdez-Symonds, also condemned the ruling, calling it “deeply concerning” and emphasising that Begum should be allowed to return and face justice in Britain.
Currently, Shamima Begum remains in Camp Roj, a detention camp in north-east Syria that houses nearly 3,000 individuals, including many children. The Home Office acknowledged the Supreme Court’s decision but refrained from further comments.
For more details on the UK’s stance on citizenship and national security, visit the UK Home Office.
Watch the full Shamima Begum story on BBC IPlayer here.
