- Andre Roden-Paul & Dominic Casciani, Law Correspondents
- BBC news
Begum was 15 years old when she joined the Islamic State group in 2015.
Shamima Begum has lost her bid to have her British citizenship restored by the Court of Appeal.
The ruling means the 24-year-old must remain in Syria. The government revoked her citizenship in 2019 on national security grounds.
Nine years ago, at the age of 15, Begum left London for Syria and joined the Islamic State (IS) group.
The decision by the three appellate judges was unanimous. Begum may challenge this in the Supreme Court.
Her attorney, Daniel Furner, said her legal team “will not stop fighting until she receives justice and she returns home safely.”
However, the judge completely rejected all of Begum's claims. This is a very significant denial and could affect her ability to appeal the case in its entirety to the Supreme Court.
Chief Justice Baroness Kerr said: “You could argue that the sentence in Ms Begum's case was harsh. You could also argue that Ms Begum herself was the cause of her misfortune.”
“But this court does not decide whether to agree or disagree with either view.
“Our only job is to assess whether the deprivation decision is unlawful. We conclude that it is not, and the appeal is dismissed.”
Begum's lawyers went to the Court of Appeal after losing the case at trial last year. They argued that the Home Office's decision to strip her of her citizenship was unlawful, partly because British authorities had not properly considered whether she was a potential victim of human trafficking. .
Home Secretary Sir James Eadie KC said a “key feature” of the case was national security.
“The fact that someone may be radicalized and manipulated is consistent with an assessment that they pose a national security risk,” he said.
The ruling represents a substantial victory for the government, averting a potential legal crisis. If the decision is overturned, the Home Secretary will in future have to balance national security considerations with the question of whether someone is a victim.
In response to the court's decision, the Home Office said it was “pleased” with Friday's ruling, adding that “maintaining the safety and security of the UK remains our priority”.
A spokesman for the prime minister said the government “will always take the strongest possible action to protect national security”, adding that the decision to revoke citizenship was never taken lightly.
But outside court, Begum's lawyers said they were very likely to ask the Supreme Court to intervene. However, a response can take up to a year.
Defense lawyer Gareth Peirce said Britain had a moral obligation to bring Ms Begum back, as other countries had done with their nationals found in Syria.
image source, Metropolitan Police Department
Begum (right) heads from London to Syria with two friends.
Begum, who was born in Britain to parents of Bangladeshi descent, was one of three girls from east London who traveled to Syria in 2015 to support IS. She departed with her friends Kadiza Sultana and Amira Abasseh.
Begum lived under IS rule for more than three years. She was married to a Dutch IS member currently held in a Kurdish camp, and she lived in Raqqa, a former IS stronghold. She had three children, all of whom are deceased.
She was discovered in al-Rooj camp in northern Syria in 2019 after the defeat of IS.
Sultana is believed to have died when her house was blown up. Abase's safety is unknown.
Begum admitted knowingly joining a banned organization. She said she was “ashamed” that she had done so and that she regretted it.
