Shamima Begum, now 24, has lost her appeal against the decision to revoke her UK citizenship, as ruled by the Court of Appeal. This verdict means she must remain in

Syria, where she has been since leaving London nine years ago at the age of 15 to join the Islamic State group (IS).

The government stripped Begum of her citizenship in 2019 on national security grounds. Despite her legal team's efforts to challenge this decision, the ruling by three appeal judges was unanimous. There remains a possibility for Begum to challenge this decision in the Supreme Court.

While Begum's solicitor, Daniel Furner, affirmed their commitment to continuing the legal battle until justice is achieved and Begum safely returns home, the judges dismissed all of her arguments. Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr emphasized that the court's role was to assess the lawfulness of the deprivation decision, which they found was not unlawful.

Begum's lawyers argued that the Home Office's decision was unlawful, citing a failure to properly consider whether she was a potential victim of trafficking. However, Sir James Eadie KC, representing the Home Office, underscored that national security was the pivotal factor in the case.

The court's ruling is a significant victory for the government, averting a potential legal crisis. The decision maintains the balance between national security concerns and questions of individual victimhood. Responding to the verdict, the Home Office reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the UK's safety and security.

Outside the court, Begum's legal team expressed their intention to involve the Supreme Court, although a response could take up to a year. Gareth Peirce, a member of Begum's legal team, stressed the moral duty of the UK to repatriate her, as other nations have done with citizens found in Syria.

Begum, born in the UK to parents of Bangladeshi heritage, traveled to Syria in 2015 with two friends to support IS. She lived under IS rule for over three years, during which she married a Dutch IS member and had three children, all of whom have died. Begum was found in al-Roj camp in northern Syria in 2019 after IS's defeat. Photo by Canley at the English-language Wikipedia.