23 February 2023 - Shamima Begum, British-born woman who joined IS, loses appeal over citizenship removal
Shamima Begum bid to regain UK citizenship rejected
Dominic Casciani and Sean Seddon (BBC News, 22/02/2023)
Shamima Begum has lost her challenge over the decision to deprive her of British citizenship despite a "credible" case she was trafficked.
Mr Justice Jay told the semi-secret court dealing with her case that her appeal had been fully dismissed.
British woman who joined ISIS as a teen loses UK citizenship appeal
Sophie Tanno and Jessie Gretener (CNN, 23/02/2023)
Shamima Begum, 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.
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 Guardian view on Shamima Begum: stateless and detained in Syria
Editorial (The Guardian, 22/02/2023)
Shamima Begum was a 15-year-old girl when she last set foot in Britain, in 2015. If the judgment of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) stands, Ms Begum will probably never return. Siac, the tribunal that hears immigration cases involving national security issues, upheld the right of the home secretary – Sajid Javid in 2019 – to strip her of UK citizenship because her presence was not “conducive to the public good”.
The practice of revoking citizenship was tainted. Not anymore.
Adam Taylor (The Washington Post, 23/02/2023)
Centuries ago, European kingdoms would banish disloyal citizens from their walls. More recently, in a trend that critics say marks a return to the practices later discredited by Nazi Germany, countries around the world are increasingly moving to strip unwanted people of their citizenship — sometimes, even if it renders them stateless.