By Shamima Begum fight to return to UK goes to Supreme Court
The Supreme Court will today consider whether Shamima Begum should be allowed to return to the UK to challenge the deprivation of her British citizenship.
The hearing, which will be held remotely, is taking place over two days starting today.
Ms Begum, now 21, was one of three east London schoolgirls who travelled to Syria to join the so-called Islamic State group in February 2015.
She lived under IS rule for more than three years before she was found, nine months pregnant, in a Syrian refugee camp in February last year.
Then-home secretary Sajid Javid revoked her British citizenship on national security grounds later that month.
In July, the Court of Appeal ruled that “the only way in which she can have a fair and effective appeal is to be permitted to come into the United Kingdom to pursue her appeal”.
Later that month, the Court of Appeal gave permission for both the Home Office and Ms Begum to take their case to the UK’s highest court, and ordered a “stay” on Ms Begum’s return “until further order by the Supreme Court”.
At a remote two-day hearing starting today, the Supreme Court will consider whether Ms Begum should be allowed to return to the UK to appeal against the deprivation of her British citizenship.
Five Supreme Court justices, led by the court’s president Lord Reed, will also consider whether Ms Begum’s appeal should be allowed if she is refused leave to enter the UK.
Also today, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) will hear the cases of three individuals with British-Bangladeshi heritage whose British citizenship has been revoked on the grounds of national security.
All three claim the decision to remove their British citizenship rendered them stateless and was therefore unlawful, which is denied by the Home Office.
The Supreme Court hearing starts at 11am on Monday and is being livestreamed on the court’s website.
