The family of Shamima Begum say they are considering taking legal action against the decision to strip her of UK citizenship.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid has ordered that Begum - who joined the Islamic State group in Syria aged 15 - be deprived of her British citizenship. But Begum’s family's lawyer, Tasnime Akunjee, said they were “considering all legal avenues to challenge the decision”, that had left them “very disappointed”.
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However, Javid’s decision has sparked heated debate. Dal Babu, a former Metropolitan Police detective and friend of Begum's family, told the BBC: “It seems to be a bizarre decision and I'm not entirely sure how that will stand up legally.”
The human rights group Liberty said “taking away a person’s citizenship” is a “serious” move and “must not be wielded lightly”. Writing for The Independent, Rashmee Roshan Lall argues the decision “reflects poorly on a country that regularly requests others to repatriate their illegal immigrants” and contradicts “western principles of secular humanism”.
Tory MP George Freeman said the move was a “mistake” that would set a “dangerous precedent”. However, his fellow Conservative Robert Halfon backed Javid’s order, saying it was “absolutely the right decision”.
This week, Begum gave birth to a boy in the refugee camp in which she is currently living. The 19-year-old has asked for more understanding from the British public. Earlier this week, she said: “I feel a lot of people should have sympathy for me, for everything I’ve been through.”