Key takeaways:
- The Special Immigration Appeals Commission ruled there was a “credible suspicion” that Shamima Begum was trafficked to Syria for “sexual exploitation.”
- The ruling does not determine if Begum can return to Britain, but whether the removal of her citizenship was lawful.
- The decision has been met with mixed reactions, with some arguing that Begum should be allowed to return to the UK, while others believe that she should not be allowed to return due to her involvement with ISIS.
A British woman who left the United Kingdom to join ISIS at the age of 15 has lost her appeal against the decision to revoke her British citizenship.
Shamima Begum, now 23, made international headlines in February 2019 as an “ISIS bride” after pleading with the UK government to be allowed to return to the country.
The Special Immigration Appeals Commission, a tribunal which hears challenges to decisions to remove someone’s British citizenship on national security grounds, ruled there was a “credible suspicion” that Begum was trafficked to Syria for “sexual exploitation.”
Judge Robert Jay gave the decision on Wednesday following a five-day hearing in November, during which her lawyers argued the UK Home Office had a duty to investigate whether she was a victim of trafficking before removing her citizenship.
The ruling does not determine if Begum can return to Britain, but whether the removal of her citizenship was lawful. Begum is currently living in a camp in northern Syria.
The decision has been met with mixed reactions, with some arguing that Begum should be allowed to return to the UK, while others believe that she should not be allowed to return due to her involvement with ISIS. The UK government has yet to comment on the ruling.
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