Britain may not be able to revoke ISIS bride Shamima Begum’s citizenship

The UK may not be able to revoke ISIS bride Shamima Begum’s British citizenship as planned.

Last night it emerged the 19-year-old’s family had been told she would be deprived of the citizenship in a letter from the Home Office, seen by ITV news.

But after officials from Bangladesh revealed Shamima does not hold dual citizenship despite her parents being from the country, Britain could be in a different position.

A person can only be stripped of their citizenship if they have dual nationality, and a suspect cannot be left stateless (with no citizenship at all).

Barrister David Anderson QC, who previously served as the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, has told Birmingham Live : "Those born as British citizens who are not dual nationals cannot be stripped of their citizenship in any circumstances."

Shamima told a BBC News interview "They’re kind of being unjust and I don’t think they are actually allowed to do that because like I said I don’t have dual citizenship."

Ms Begum’s family lawyer, Tasnime Akunjee, told the Press Association that she was born in the UK, has never had a Bangladeshi passport and is not a dual citizen.

The family are "considering all legal avenues to challenge this decision", he added.

A letter from the Home Office to the family received yesterday reportedly reads: "Please find enclosed papers that relate to a decision taken by the Home Secretary, to deprive your daughter, Shamima Begum, of her British citizenship.

"In light of the circumstances of your daughter, the notice of the Home Secretary’s decision has been served of file today (19th February), and the order removing her British citizenship has subsequently been made."

Today she was shown a copy of the Home Office letter that announced her British citizenship would be stripped.

She told ITV News: "I don’t know what to say. I am not that shocked but I am a bit shocked.

"It’s a bit upsetting and frustrating. I feel like it’s a bit unjust on me and my son."

Shamima Begum, who fled to Syria aged 15, is not a Bangladeshi citizen and will be barred from entering the country, its foreign ministry has said.

The 19-year-old from London said she wanted to return to the UK with her newborn baby, with the end of the so-called caliphate in Syria within sight.

But Home Secretary Sajid Javid revoked her British citizenship in a move only permissible under international law if it does not leave the individual stateless.

There had been speculation that Ms Begum, who is of Bangladeshi heritage, may have citizenship there but its minister of state for foreign affairs Shahriar Alam denied this today.

A statement tweeted by the minister said: "The Government of Bangladesh is deeply concerned that she has been erroneously identified as a holder of dual citizenship shared with Bangladesh alongside her birthplace, the United Kingdom.

"Bangladesh asserts that Ms Shamima Begum is not a Bangladeshi citizen. She is a British citizen by birth and has never applied for dual nationality with Bangladesh.

"It may also be mentioned that she never visited Bangladesh in the past despite her parental lineage.

"So, there is no question of her being allowed to enter into Bangladesh."

Ms Begum has suggested she may try for citizenship in the Netherlands, where her husband is from.

Meanwhile, Mr Javid suggested the action to prevent Ms Begum returning will have no impact on her baby son’s nationality.

While insisting he could not discuss individual cases, he told the Commons: "Children should not suffer.

"So, if a parent does lose their British citizenship, it does not affect the rights of their child."

He also delivered a staunch defence of the Government’s ability to use the citizenship powers to prevent the return of "dangerous individuals".

He told MPs that the step was never taken lightly, adding: "But when someone turns their back on the fundamental values and supports terror, they don’t have an automatic right to return to the UK.

"We must put the safety and security of our country first and I will not hesitate to act to protect it."

Amendments were made to British national laws in 2014 which made it easier to strip dual nationals of their British citizenship.

These measures were primarily aimed at terrorists who could potentially undermine UK security, for example those who fled to Syria to fight and were attempting to return home.

There are two other instances when British citizenship can be removed, which are permissible even if the person would be rendered stateless.

Deprivation of citizenship can be made if a person obtained their citizenship through registration or naturalisation and the Home Secretary is "satisfied that this was obtained by fraud, false representation or the concealment of a material fact"

Secondly, when citizenship is obtained through naturalisation and the Home Secretary believes that removing it would be "conducive to the public good" because the person acted in way which is "seriously prejudicial to the vital interests of United Kingdom, any of the Islands, or any British overseas territory".

However, this power, introduced in the Immigration Act 2014, can only be used if there are reasonable grounds for believing the person is able to acquire citizenship of another country, thereby avoiding remaining stateless.

Shamima was was one of three schoolgirls to leave Bethnal Green to join the terror cult in 2015 and resurfaced heavily pregnant at a Syrian refugee camp last week.

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