Islamic State bride Shamima Begum loses appeal against removal of UK citizenship
Image by Sam Tarling/Getty Images
Shamima Begum has lost her appeal against the decision of the Home Office to revoke her British citizenship despite having a “credible” case that she was trafficked.
The 23-year-old woman, who fled the country to join the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) at the age of 15, remains barred from entering the UK.
Reports have stated that she is currently residing in a camp in northern Syria. She married a fighter for the group and had three children, all of whom died.
Justice Jay told the semi-secret court dealing with Begum’s case this week that her appeal has been dismissed completely. However, her lawyers have said that they will challenge the decision and that the case was “nowhere near over”.
They said, “Every possible avenue to challenge this decision will be urgently pursued” but did not give any further details of a potential appeal.
A spokesman for the Home Office said it was “pleased” with the decision and added, “The government’s priority remains maintaining the safety and security of the UK and we will robustly defend any decision made in doing so.”
Sajid Javid, who was responsible for Begum not being allowed to enter the UK when he was the home secretary, also welcomed the outcome. He said that ministers should have the “power to prevent anyone entering our country who is assessed to pose a threat to it.”
Several human rights groups and campaigners have spoken against the decision and the government’s position. They stressed that Begum was a victim of child exploitation and should be allowed to enter the country.
Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UK’s refugee and migrant rights director, said, "The home secretary shouldn’t be in the business of exiling British citizens.”
According to the BBC, Conservative MP David Davis, who has challenged the government on civil liberties issues several times, described the development as a “shameful abdication of responsibility and must be remedied”.
Image by the British Council
Quote by CSMVS, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Director General, CSMVS said, “The exhibition “Early Photography and Archaeology in Western India” has been a project that has long been imagined by the British Library and CSMVS and we are delighted to be able to present this to our audiences in our centenary year to draw focus on to the great monuments of western India and the art of photography, both of which are in a unique amalgam in the Museum. Through this endeavour, the British Library and CSMVS, aim to present an invaluable resource to Indian audiences for the first time with a compelling and interactive exhibition featuring side-by-side historical photographs, contemporary photographs and archaeological collections.”
Roly Keating, Chief Executive,British Library, said, “This exhibition marks another significant milestone in the long-standing collaboration between the British Library and CSMVS, one of our key partners in India. Making our collections accessible to everyone is at the core of the British Library’s mission, so we are delighted to be able to share these historic photographs with audiences in India. We are also particularly pleased to have the opportunity to work alongside colleagues at CSMVS to curate this exhibition and for both institutions to share their specialist knowledge and expertise.”
The CSMVS a pioneering educational institute and patron of heritage arts in India, has gone a step further in a collaboration with Studio Goppo of Santiniketan to physically produce handmade photographic prints using 19th-century processes of salted paper and albumen prints giving audiences the rare opportunity to appreciate them as they would have been seen in the 19th-century.
The exhibition “Early Photography and Archaeology in Western India” has been supported by Cyrus Guzder and the British Council and is part of the “India/UK Together, a Season of Culture’. The season celebrates and strengthens the bilateral relationship, friendship and vibrant cultural bonds between the two countries and also marks India’s 75th anniversary.
The Exhibition is curated by John Falconer Exhibition Curator and former Lead Curator Visual Arts/Curator of Photographs, The British Library.
