‘Jihadi bride’ Shamima Begum wins right to return to Britain to fight for citizenship
- Begum, 20, had travelled to Syria to join Islamic State when she was a teenager
- She lost her British citizenship on national security grounds after outcry led by right-wing media
A woman who had her British citizenship revoked after travelling to Syria to join the Islamic State group should be allowed to return home to challenge the decision, a court ruled Thursday.
Shamima Begum, 20, lost the first stage of her case about the legality of the government’s decision at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) in February.
But the tribunal also ruled she could not have a “fair and effective appeal” or play “any meaningful part” in the process, as she was living in a Syrian refugee camp.
Three senior judges at the Court of Appeal on Thursday upheld that SIAC ruling.
“Ms Begum should be allowed to come to the United Kingdom to pursue her appeal, albeit subject to such controls as the [home secretary] deems appropriate,” they said.