Shamima Begum given renewed hope of returning to Britain

The European Court of Human Rights has asked the UK to justify its 2019 decision to strip Shamima Begum of British citizenship and has sent four formal questions to the Home Office; the next step is a response from the UK government.

European judges at the European Court of Human Rights have formally asked the UK Home Office to explain the decision to remove Shamima Begum's British citizenship. Begum's citizenship was revoked in 2019 on national security grounds after she travelled to ISIS-controlled areas as a teenager, and she has pursued legal challenges in the UK for several years. She remains in the al-Roj camp in northern Syria while her representatives continue the case in Strasbourg. Known details: - The ECHR has asked the Home Office four formal questions, including whether Begum's rights under Article 4 of the European Convention were violated and whether she was within the UK's jurisdiction for the purposes of Article 1. - Begum's British citizenship was revoked by the Home Secretary in 2019 on national security grounds. - UK bodies including the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court have previously dismissed or declined further challenges in her case. - Begum is reported to be living in the al-Roj camp in Hasakah province in northern Syria while the legal process continues. Summary: The European court's step requires a formal reply from the Home Office on whether human rights or anti‑trafficking rules were engaged by the citizenship decision, and the government has said it will robustly defend national security measures. The immediate next procedural step is the Home Office's response to the questions from Strasbourg; the timing of that response is undetermined at this time.