UK: Shamima Begum Loses Citizenship Appeal

Facts

• On Wednesday, Shamima Begum, a 23-year-old who joined the Islamic State (IS) in 2015, lost her appeal challenging then-Home Secretary Sajid Javid's 2019 decision to revoke her British citizenship. Begum claimed she was trafficked in her appeal.
• The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) ruled that despite there being "credible suspicion" that Begum was recruited and transferred to IS at the age of 15 for "sexual exploitation," this was "insufficient" to deem Javid's decision as unlawful.
• While the commission also claimed there were "arguable breaches of duty" by state bodies in allowing Begum to travel to Syria, Javid — who "welcome[d]" the ruling — made the decision in 2019 due to national security concerns.
• The ruling also found that, under the UK's constitution, the matter is "for the Secretary of State to evaluate and not for the commission."
• Begum's British citizenship was revoked shortly after she reappeared pregnant in al-Hawl, a Syrian refugee camp of 39k people, after marrying an IS fighter. The decision to deny her appeal comes after a five-day hearing in November 2022.
• Despite the decision, Begum's lawyers have claimed that they will file an appeal, arguing that the legal fight surrounding her British citizenship is "nowhere near over."

Sources: BBC News, Guardian, Sky News, ITV News, CNN, and Evening Standard.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Amnesty International. The decision is disappointing, and the power to banish a citizen in such an ad hoc manner shouldn't exist in modern society. Lured to Syria as an impressionable 15-year-old, Begum was groomed and trafficked to join IS, and the UK should be treating her as the victim she is rather than leaving her stranded in Syria.
• Narrative B, as provided by Spectator. While this is a tragic case, Shamima Begum made a conscious decision to join a murderous terror group that she stayed with and supported for years, and she must take responsibility for her actions. The state has an obligation to prioritize national security, and the commission is right to stand by Javid's decision.