A UK girl of Bangladeshi descent, who fled to join Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria in 2015 and married an Islamist extremist, has been stripped of her British citizenship which the teen said was “unjust”.
Shamima Begum, 19, who had expressed the desire to return to the UK with her newborn son, was banned on Tuesday from entering the country.
In a letter dated February 19, UK home secretary Sajid Javid wrote to Begum’s family informing them that he had made an order revoking her citizenship. “Please find enclosed papers that relate to a decision taken by the Home Secretary, to deprive your daughter, Shamima Begum, of her British citizenship,” the letter reads.
Begum, who is currently in a Syrian refugee camp, described the move as “unjust”. “I am not that shocked but I am a bit shocked. It’s a bit upsetting and frustrating. I feel like it’s a bit unjust on me and my son,” she told ‘ITV News’ channel from the camp.
Begum claimed that she was being treated harshly because “I was on the news four years ago”, saying that she heard of “other people being sent back to Britain”. “I don’t know why my case is any different,” she added.
She said she was weighing up her options and could try to apply for Dutch citizenship on the basis of the nationality of her ISIS-recruit husband, who is currently in prison.
“Another option I might try with my family is my husband is from Holland and he has family in Holland. Maybe I can ask for citizenship in Holland. If he gets sent back to prison in Holland I can just wait for him while he is in prison,” she said.