The European Court of Human Rights has questioned the UK government's 2019 decision to strip Shamima Begum of her British citizenship. The court asked how the treatment complies with the UK's obligations to victims of trafficking under Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits slavery and forced labour.
Begum, now 26, left her east London home in 2015 at age 15 to live under Islamic State in Syria. She was married to an IS fighter and had three children, all of whom died. The then Home Secretary Sajid Javid revoked her citizenship on national security grounds, a decision upheld by the Court of Appeal and backed by the current government.
Begum's lawyers argue she was a child trafficking victim. The court posed four questions to the Home Office, including whether the secretary of state had a positive obligation under Article 4 to consider if Begum was a trafficking victim before deciding to deprive her of citizenship. The case was lodged in December 2024 after the UK Supreme Court denied her leave to appeal.
Gareth Peirce of Birnberg Peirce Solicitors, representing Begum, said the court's communication presents an opportunity to address considerations ignored by previous UK administrations. He noted that Javid failed to consider grooming and trafficking issues. A Home Office spokesperson said any decision to protect national security would be robustly defended, adding that Begum posed a national security threat.
Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Begum had no place in the UK due to her support for violent extremists, while Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice called for leaving the European Court of Human Rights, calling its involvement foreign meddling.
