{UAH} Shamima Begum: As Isis bride 'flees refugee camp', what comes next in citizenship row?

Shamima Begum: As Isis bride 'flees refugee camp', what comes next in citizenship row?

Stephanie Ayako Karaki Harris

Freelancer

Yahoo News UK1 March 2019

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Shamima Begum left London in 2015 as a 15-year-old

Isis bride Shamima Begum and her newborn baby are thought to have fled their Syrian refugee camp after being 'threatened' by other jihadi wives.

The Sun reported that Ms Begum, who wants to return to the UK but has been stripped of her British citizenship, had received death threats since speaking out about her plight.

Her family lawyer, Tasnime Akunjee, confirmed that the teenager and her son, Jerah, were moved from the al-Hawl camp due to 'safety concerns'.

Ms Begum, who fled from Bethnal Green in east London to join Islamic State in 2015 with two school friends, said last month she wanted to return home for the health of her unborn child.

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Stills taken from CCTV issued by the Metropolitan Police of (left to right) Kadiza Sultana, Shamima Begum, and Amira Abase going through security at Gatwick airport. Source: PA

The 19-year-old then gave birth days after her discovery by a journalist was first reported and recently said she regretted speaking to the media.

The mother and baby are said to have since been moved to another camp nearer to the Iraqi border.

The development comes after British officials ruled out any effort inside Syria to extract Ms Begum and her child.

 

Home Secretary Sajid Javid stripped her of her British citizenship in an effort to block her return.

Ms Begum's family have pleaded for the pair to be allowed to come back to Britain, but what comes next?

She could lodge an appeal

Although Mr Javid stripped her of her British citizenship, saying she is a dual British-Bangladeshi national, both Ms Begum and the Bangladeshi government have denied she is a citizen.

Under international law, it is illegal to strip someone of their only citizenship if they then become stateless.

Therefore Ms Begum could appeal Mr Javid's decision and have her British nationality reinvoked.

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Ms Begum, pictured here when she was 15, resisted her family's calls for her to return home. Source: PA

 

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Shamima Begum's father wants her citizenship ban reversed

Her son could come to the UK

Mr Javid confirmed her son was a British citizen as he was born before his mother's citizenship was revoked and so could be entitled to British consular help and come back to the UK if he was taken out of Syria with her consent.

Mr Javid said: "If it is possible for a British child to be brought to a place where there is British consular presence – the closest place might be Turkey – then in those circumstances, it's potentially possible to arrange some sort of help with the consent of the parent."

Stuck in limbo

The likelihood is that Ms Begum will probably remain in Syria for the foreseeable future.

The UK, Bangladesh and Holland, where her husband is from, are all adamant to keep her out of their borders, and with international help looking unlikely, Ms Begum will have no other option but remain in a refugee camp.

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