Why was Shamima Begum’s citizenship revoked? Did Shamima Begum have a British passport?

Shamima Begun is currently top searched on the internet after the news of her citizenship revocation surfaced online. Shamima Begum is a British-born woman who fled from the UK to join the Islamic State of Iraq.

She was born on 25th August 1999 in the United Kingdom. Her father is called Ahmed Ali and she is siblings with Aklima Begum. She was born into a Muslim family to Bangladeshi parents.

Why was Shamima Begum’s citizenship revoked?

Shamima Begum entered Syria through Turkey at the early age of 15 on February 2015. She was a student at Bethnal Green Academy in London and was part of the Bethnal Green trio with Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana. Shamima Begum fled from the UK with her two colleagues in the Bethnal Green trio.

She married Yago Riedijk in 2015 and had three children but they couldn’t survive. The youngest of her deceased kids was born in a refugee camp in February 2019 and, by March 2019, he died of a lung infection specifically pneumonia.

According to sources, Shamima Begum became an enforcer amongst ISIL and attempted an initiative to recruit other young women. Her existence and survival were traced and confirmed at the Al-Hawl refugee camp in Northern Syria. This was done by war correspondent Anthony Loyd on 13th February 2019.

After she left the United Kingdom, her big sister indicated that Shamima Begum might have gone to the ISIL territory to bring back their friend Sharmeena Begum who fled to the same place in 2014.

On 14th February 2019, Shamima Begum’s British Citizenship was revoked by the British Home Secretary, Sajid Javid. She was banned from entering the United Kingdom. However, in July 2020, the Court of Appeal ruled that Begum should be permitted to return to the UK in order fairly to contest the Home Secretary’s decision by instructing lawyers properly.

Afterward, the ruling about the permission for her to return was appealed to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom which, on 26 February 2021, ruled unanimously against her, reversing the decision of the Court of Appeal and preventing her return.

Did Shamima Begum have a British passport?

Shamima Begum has British Nationality. It has not been disclosed if she had a British Passport. However, it’s been disclosed that she fled the UK to Syria through Turkey.