The UK Supreme Court has rejected the bid of Shamima Begum to regain her UK citizenship. The former London schoolgirl had been stripped of her British nationality in 2019 after she traveled to Syria to join Islamic State in 2015.
The Court’s ruling was split 5-2, with the majority of justices concluding that the government’s decision to remove her citizenship was lawful. The court found that the decision was not incompatible with her right to family life, as stated in Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The move came as a surprise to many, as the Court had previously granted her a temporary right of appeal in July 2020. However, the court ultimately concluded that her nationality was removed for the ‘public good’ and that she had not been prevented from accessing legal advice.
The ruling has been met with criticism from some human rights groups, who argue that the decision is a violation of Begum’s right to a fair hearing. However, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the ruling and said it was ‘clear that those who left the UK to join a terrorist organization should not be allowed to return’.
It remains to be seen whether Begum will make any further attempts to regain her UK citizenship, but for now, the Supreme Court’s ruling stands.
