Javid revokes Jihadi bride’s citizenship

SHAMIMA BEGUM, the jihadi bride, has had her British citizenship revoked by the Home Secretary, it was confirmed last night.

The 19-year-old, who had expressed the desire to return to the UK with her newborn son, will now be banned from entering the country. It is understood that the teenager, who grew up in Bethnal Green, east London, has dual Bangladeshi nationality, meaning the move will not render her stateless.

In a letter sent to her family, officials said Sajid Javid had made the decision in “light of the circumstances”.

The letter read: “Please find enclosed papers that relate to a decision taken by the Home Secretary, to deprive your daughter, Shamima Begum, of her British citizenship. In light of the circumstances of your daughter, the notice of the Home Secretary’s decision has been served on file today (February 19), and the order removing her British citizenship has subsequently been made.”

The letter urged Ms Begum’s family to make the teenager aware of the decision, but added that she had a right to appeal. The family’s lawyer said they were upset by the announcement.

Tasnime Akunjee said: “[The] family are very disappointed with the Home Office’s intention to have an order made depriving Shamima of her citizenship. We are considering all legal avenues to challenge this decision.”

Mr Javid has the power to exclude any person suspected of being involved in terrorist activity, on the basis that their presence in the UK is not

conducive to the public good, but it is understood the Home Office would only have stripped Ms Begum of her citizenship if they had confirmed she had dual nationality, even if she did not have a current Bangladeshi passport.

Mr Akunjee said last night she did not have a passport and so faced the prospect of being denied a visa for Bangladesh, leaving her stateless.

Philip Hollobone, the Tory MP, welcomed the decision, saying: “Well done, Sajid Javid for acting so quickly. This is exactly the right thing to do …”

Ms Begum travelled to Syria from her home in east London in December 2014 and married an Isil fighter. Her first two children died, and last week the pregnant teenager was discovered in a Syrian refugee camp.

But despite saying she wanted to bring her baby son up in the peace and security of the UK, she insisted she had no regrets about travelling to Syria.

She has also been criticised for likening the deaths of 22 people in the Manchester Arena terror attack to the civilians being bombed in Isil territory.

Earlier, Cressida Dick, the Met Commissioner, said Ms Begum could be arrested and potentially charged if she ever returned to the UK. But she acknowledged that travelling to Syria was not an offence in itself, and said the police would need evidence that she had been involved in crime.

The news comes as a report suggested that many of the girls who travelled to join Isil were far from vulnerable and naive. A study by the Henry Jackson Society found evidence that, while boys tended to join Isil under the influence of family members, girls were more likely to have sought out extremist material on their own.