Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to vigorously defend the decision to cancel ISIS bride Shamima Begum’s citizenship amid a new legal challenge.
Legal representatives for Ms. Begum argue that she was enticed, influenced, and misled for the purpose of sexual exploitation at the age of 15. The European Court of Human Rights has requested clarifications from Britain regarding the contentious action.
London-born Ms. Begum, who was a school student when she journeyed to regions controlled by the Islamic State, is contesting the ruling that revoked her UK citizenship in February 2019. Despite this, a Government insider stated that Ms. Mahmood will not yield.
Former Conservative Home Secretary Sir Sajid Javid made the decision after she was identified as a national security threat. Ms. Begum, who wed an ISIS militant, is presently residing in a Syrian camp.
Her legal team is challenging the ruling under Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits slavery and forced labor. This move follows the UK Supreme Court’s denial of her appeal opportunity.
Judges in Strasbourg have inquired with the Home Office whether the Government should have assessed if Ms. Begum was a victim of trafficking. Lawyer Gareth Peirce stated, “It is indisputable that a 15-year-old British child was enticed, influenced, and misled in 2014/15 for sexual exploitation purposes, to depart from home and travel to Isil-controlled territory with the intention of being given, as a minor, to an Isil combatant to bear children for the Islamic State.”
“Equally undeniable is the series of oversights in safeguarding a child who was known to be at high risk for weeks before, especially when a close associate had disappeared to Syria in a similar manner and through the same route. It has long been acknowledged that the former home secretary, Sajid Javid, who hastily decided in 2019 to strip Ms. Begum of citizenship, had completely disregarded the issues of grooming and trafficking of a London school child and the resulting obligations of the state.”
However, a Government source affirmed that the Home Secretary is prepared to counter a challenge against the decision to revoke Ms. Begum’s citizenship. The source mentioned, “The Home Secretary will vigorously defend the decision to revoke Shamima Begum’s citizenship, which has been consistently upheld in our domestic courts. National security will always be the top priority for the Home Secretary.”
The Conservative party expressed that Ms. Begum should not be readmitted into the UK “under any circumstances.”
Ms. Begum, now 26, ventured to Syria in 2015 accompanied by two school companions – Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana. Both have reportedly passed away.
Shortly after her arrival in Syria, she married a 23-year-old ISIS recruit. Ms. Begum gave birth to three children, all of whom have since died.
At Reach and across our entities, we and our partners utilize data collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to enhance your site experience, analyze usage patterns, and present personalized advertisements. You can opt out of data sale or sharing at any time by clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are specific to your browser. Your use of our website and services indicates your consent to the use of cookies and agreement with the practices outlined in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.