Supreme court bars Begum's appeal in UK citizenship case

Shamima Begum's legal fight to restore her UK citizenship has received a significant blow from the supreme court, which refused to hear an appeal.

- Rajeev Syal

Three judges from the UK's final court of appeal ruled "the grounds of appeal do not raise an arguable point of law". It confirms a previous ruling that the then home secretary, Sajid Javid, had the power to set aside concerns that she may have been a victim of child trafficking when she left east London as a schoolgirl and travelled in secret with two friends to live under Islamic State in 2015.

Begum's lawyers argued the 2019 decision to revoke her British citizenship, shortly after she was found in a Syrian refugee camp, was unlawful on four grounds. They argued she was trafficked as a 15-year-old, which the authorities should have prevented.

They claimed Begum had the right to address Javid before her citizenship was revoked, which was denied.