Shamima Begum, the woman who left Britain as a schoolgirl to join Islamic State in Syria, has launched an appeal against the decision of the Home Office to revoke her citizenship
Begum was born in the UK and grew up in east London. She was deprived of her British citizenship on February 19, 2019 shortly after being discovered by a journalist reporting on the al-Hawl camp. The act of revoking her citizenship means Begum is unable to return to the UK.
At the partially private hearing before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, lawyers for Begum alleged she has been left stateless, was unable to mount a “fair and effective” legal challenge and was at risk of “death, inhuman or degrading treatment” if forced to go to Bangladesh, her parents’ country of origin.
It was also argued in her defence that Begum did not have an active role within the organisation while in Syria and that the act of removing her citizenship was done with the sole intention of preventing her from returning to the UK.
Lawyers representing the Home Office did not immediately release their legal submissions.
