Begum’s bid for return to UK on hold for Supreme Court hearing

SHAMIMA BEGUM’S potential return to the UK to challenge the deprivation of her British citizenship has been put on hold after the Government was given permission to take the case to the Supreme Court.

Ms Begum, now 20, was one of three east London schoolgirls who travelled to Syria to join the so-called Islamic State group (IS) in February 2015.

She lived under IS rule for more than three years before she was found, nine months pregnant, in a Syrian refugee camp in February last year.

Then-Home Secretary Sajid Javid revoked her British citizenship on national security grounds later that month.

Earlier this month, the Court of Appeal ruled that the only way she can have a fair appeal was to be allowed to return to the UK to pursue the legal challenge.

At a remote hearing yesterday, the Government argued that the Court of Appeal wrongly concluded Ms Begum should be granted leave to enter the UK despite the fact that “she is assessed to pose a threat to UK national security”.

Sir James Eadie QC, for the Home Office, told the court there were “significant national security concerns” about Ms Begum’s potential return to the UK.

Sir James added: “The public will be less well protected if Ms Begum returns than it would be if she does not return.”

Lady Justice King said the case raised “points of law of general public importance” which should be considered by the UK’s highest court.

She said “clearly there must be a stay” on Ms Begum’s potential return to the UK “until further order by the Supreme Court”.

The judge also granted permission for Ms Begum’s lawyers to challenge the decision that the absence of a fair and effective

Sir James Eadie QC, for the Home Office. appeal did not mean her British citizenship should be restored, subject to the Supreme Court accepting that part of the case.

The Home Office welcomed the opportunity to hear its appeal in the Supreme Court, but declined to comment further at this stage.

Ms Begum was one of three schoolgirls from Bethnal Green Academy who left their homes to join IS, shortly after Sharmeena Begum, who is no relation, travelled to Syria in December 2014.

Kadiza Sultana and Amira Abase, then 16 and 15 respectively, and Ms Begum boarded a flight from Gatwick Airport to Istanbul, Turkey, on February 17, 2015, before making their way to Raqqa in Syria. Ms Begum claims she married Dutch convert Yago Riedijk 10 days after arriving in IS territory, with all three of her friends also reportedly marrying foreign IS fighters.

She told The Times last February that she left Raqqa in January 2017 with her husband but her children, a one-year-old girl and a three-month-old boy, had both since died. Her third child died shortly after he was born.

The public will be less well protected if Ms Begum returns.