The British Shamima Begum is of Bangladeshi origin. (File)
London:
A woman who has had her British nationality revoked after traveling to Syria to join the Islamic State group should be allowed to return home to challenge the decision, a court said on Thursday.
Shamima Begum, 20, lost the first step in his case regarding the legality of the government’s decision to the Special Immigration Appeal Board (SIAC) in February.
But the court also ruled that she could not have a “fair and effective appeal” or play “a meaningful role” in the process, since she lived in a Syrian refugee camp.
Thursday, three senior judges of the Court of Appeal confirmed this decision of the SIAC.
“Ms. Begum should be allowed to come to the UK to continue her appeal, but subject to whatever controls the (Minister of the Interior) deems appropriate,” they said.
Begum was 15 when she and two other schoolgirls from Bethnal Green, in east London, left home to join the jihadist group on February 17, 2015.
She claims to have married a Dutch convert shortly after her arrival on IS-held territory. She was discovered, nine months pregnant, in a Syrian refugee camp in February last year.
Her newborn baby died shortly after giving birth. Two of her other children also died under the rule of IS.
Secretary of State at the time, Sajid Javid, canceled Begum’s British citizenship for reasons of national security after an outcry by right-wing media.
This prompted her to take legal action, arguing that the decision was illegal, rendered her stateless and exposed her to the risk of death or inhuman and degrading treatment.
The Begum of British origin is of Bangladeshi origin. But the Bangladesh foreign minister said he would not consider granting citizenship.
His lawyer, Daniel Furner, said his client “never had a fair chance to give her side of the story”, which made the government’s decision unfair.
Human rights group Liberty also welcomed the decision, saying, “The right to a fair trial is not something the government can take away on a whim.
“It is a fundamental part of our justice system and equal access to justice must apply to everyone.”
The Interior Ministry described the decision as “disappointing” and said it would seek leave to appeal.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
