Court cites security concerns to block Shamima’s UK return

BRITAIN’S top court last Friday (26) rejected a bid by Shamima Begum, who was stripped of her UK citizenship for joining Daesh (Islamic State), to return to Briain to challenge the decision.

Five judges at the Supreme Court gave a unanimous decision in the case of Begum, whose legal battles have come to be seen as a test of how Britain treat nationals who joined the terror group.

They found her right to a fair hearing did not override considerations such as public safety, and that she should be blocked from returning until she can participate “without the safety of the public being compromised”.

“That is not a perfect solution, as it is not known how long it may be before that is possible,” the head of the Supreme Court, judge Robert Reed, said in a written judgment. “But there is no perfect solution to a dilemma of the present kind.”

Prime minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said the government was pleased with the ruling. He told reporters “decisions to deprive individuals of their citizenship are not taken lightly”.

Now 21, Begum left her home in east London at the age of 15 to travel to Syria with two school friends and fighter there.

Britain’s then home secretary Sajid Javid revoked her citizenship in 2019 on national security grounds. The Tory MP welcomed last week’s verdict, saying: “Any restrictions of... freedoms faced by this individual are a direct consequence of the extreme actions that she and others have taken.”

Although Britain has blocked

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Daesh her return, the US and several European countries have accepted the repatriation of their citizens accused of joining Daesh, with some facing charges in their home countries.

Begum claims she married a Dutch convert soon after arriving in Daesh-held territory. She was discovered, nine months pregnant, in a Syrian refugee camp in February 2019. She remains in a camp in poor conditions, while her husband is reportedly in jail in Syria. Her newborn baby died soon after she gave birth, while her two other children also died in infancy under Daesh rule.

Rights groups, meanwhile, reacted with dismay to the ruling. “Stripping someone’s citizenship without due process sets a dangerous precedent,” rights organisation Liberty said.