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UK government stands firm on Begum citizenship decision
The UK Home Office has vowed to vigorously defend its decision to revoke Shamima Begum's British citizenship, despite scrutiny from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). A government source confirmed the stance, emphasizing that domestic courts have repeatedly upheld the move.
Background: Begum's journey and legal battles
Begum, now 26, left east London at 15 in 2015 to join the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria. She married an IS fighter shortly after arriving and had three children, all of whom died. In 2019, the UK government stripped her of citizenship, citing national security concerns. However, her legal team argues the decision failed to account for whether she was a victim of grooming and trafficking.
ECHR's intervention and key questions
The ECHR has requested the Home Office clarify whether ministers considered Begum's potential trafficking victim status before revoking her citizenship. The court's inquiry, published earlier this month, centers on Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits slavery and forced labor.
Judges in Strasbourg posed four questions to the UK government, including whether officials had a legal obligation to assess Begum's trafficking claims before the citizenship decision. The case was filed in December 2024 after the UK Supreme Court rejected her final appeal.
Government and opposition responses
A government source stated:
"The home secretary will robustly defend the decision to revoke Shamima Begum's citizenship, which has been tested and upheld time and again in our domestic courts. The home secretary will always put this country's national security first."
Conservative Party officials echoed this stance, with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp asserting Begum "chose to go and support the violent Islamist extremists." He added:
"She has no place in the UK, and our own Supreme Court found that depriving her of citizenship was lawful. It is deeply concerning the European Court of Human Rights is now looking at using the ECHR to make the UK take her back."
Legal team's counterarguments
Begum's lawyer, Gareth Pierce, argued it was "impossible to dispute" that a 15-year-old was "lured, encouraged, and deceived" into traveling to IS-controlled territory. Pierce highlighted systemic failures, noting authorities had prior knowledge of Begum's high-risk status after a friend took a similar route to Syria weeks earlier.
Pierce also criticized former Home Secretary Sajid Javid's 2019 decision, stating he "failed entirely to consider the issues of grooming and trafficking of a school child in London and of the state's consequent duties."
Citizenship ruling and statelessness concerns
A 2020 tribunal ruled that revoking Begum's citizenship did not render her stateless, as she was eligible for Bangladeshi citizenship through her parents. However, Bangladesh has repeatedly denied her entry, leaving her effectively without nationality.
