Shamima Begum, a London-born lady who went to Syria as a youngster to join the Islamic State terror group, lost her latest appeal against the removal of her British citizenship on Friday (Feb 23). In 2019, the British government revoked Shamima Begum’s citizenship on national security grounds, weeks after she was discovered in a prison camp in northeastern Syria. Begum, aged 24, argued that the decision was illegal, in part because British officials neglected to adequately investigate whether she was a victim of trafficking, but a lower court rejected her claim in February 2023.
The present verdict means that Shamima will remain in Syria, with no hope of returning to the UK
The Court of Appeal in London denied her appeal on Friday, following an October appeal. It determined that Shamima Begum was legitimately stripped of her British citizenship. According to the Court of Appeal ruling, Begum is “the author of her misfortune”. “But it is not for this court to agree, or disagree with either point of view,” she said. “Our only responsibility is to determine whether the deprivation judgment was unconstitutional. We have determined that it was not, and the appeal is dismissed. Baroness Sue Carr, the Lady Chief Justice, and the two other judges found that Begum “may well have been influenced and manipulated by others but still have made a calculated decision to travel to Syria and align with Islamic State.”
The present verdict means that Shamima will remain in Syria, with no hope of returning to the UK. However, the verdict does not imply the case is over. Begum’s side can now submit a case to the UK Supreme Court, which might take another year. Begum joined ISIS in 2015, leaving her family in London at the age of 15 to fly to Syria to join the terrorist group. The now-24-year-old’s lawyers filed an appeal in the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn a 2023 decision. The UK Home Office opposes the challenge. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s administration has claimed that the “key feature” of Begum’s case was national security.
