Shamima Begum loses appeal to regain UK citizenship
Date
2/23/2023 2:56:08 AM
(MENAFN) Shamima Begum, a former British citizen who left the UK at the age of 15 to join the Islamic State terror group, has lost an appeal against a previous decision to strip her of her citizenship. Despite admitting that she had voluntarily traveled to the 'Caliphate,' her lawyers argued that she was trafficked. However, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission ruled on Wednesday that it was lawful to strip Begum of her citizenship on the grounds of national security.
Begum was found in a detention camp in Syria after the defeat of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) in 2019. She had left London four years earlier to join the group, and had married a jihadist shortly after arriving in Syria, having three children, all of whom died. The government stripped her of her citizenship in 2019, citing national security concerns.
During a secret hearing in November, Begum challenged the government's decision, but the commission ruled against her. In his ruling, Judge Robert Jay stated that while the national security threat posed by Begum is debatable, it is up to the secretary of state to evaluate, and not for the commission.
Begum's legal team argued that then-Home Secretary Sajid Javid failed to consider whether she had been a victim of child trafficking when she left for Syria in 2015. Jay wrote that while there was a credible suspicion that Begum had been trafficked and sexually exploited, the evidence was insufficient to override Javid's national security concerns.
Since her discovery in Syria, Begum has spoken extensively to the press, becoming one of the most well-known 'ISIS brides.' She has expressed no remorse for her actions, stating that she was prepared to return to the UK and live a regular life. She has also described terror attacks on British soil as "justified."
MENAFN23022023000045014146ID1105625240
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.