Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Shamima Begum would be hanged if sent to Bangladesh, court hears

Due consideration was not given when she was stripped of her UK citizenship, Begum's barrister says.

Shamima Begum would be hanged if sent to Bangladesh, court hears

Shamima Begum, who left the UK to join ISIS in Syria about seven years, would face capital punishment if she were to return to Bangladesh, the country of her origin, a court heard.

Born in east London to Bangladeshi immigrants, she travelled to Syria in 2015 when she was a schoolgirl, aged 15. Britain stripped her of her citizenship in 2019 on national security grounds, with the Home Office contending that she had Bangladeshi citizenship.

Bangladesh’s foreign minister in May 2019 confirmed Begum could face the death penalty for involvement in terrorism if she went to Bangladesh, according to a Guardian report.

Her barrister Dan Squires KC told the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) that Sajid Javid, the home secretary at the time, did not consider the “serious practical consequences” of removing her UK citizenship, given that she had never visited Bangladesh.

"It is clear that he gave no consideration to the prospect that the deprivation decision would render the appellant de facto stateless," the barrister said in his submissions.

“The home secretary has not responded to the allegation that the decision-maker neither directed his mind to this issue nor took steps such as contacting the Bangladeshi authorities to find out their position regarding the appellant,” Squires said.

If such inquiries were carried out, “the Bangladesh authorities would have confirmed that the appellant would be hanged if she entered the country,” he added.

However, Home Office lawyers contended that the argument “appears to amount to an assertion that the secretary of state is under a duty to seek the views of foreign governments before he decides whether to deprive one of their nationals of their British citizenship."

“Such an argument, were Siac to accept it, would have very serious consequences – indeed, it would likely render the entire deprivation regime inoperable,” the lawyers said.

In a statement, Begum’s mother Asma described how the family was devastated after her daughter ran away from home and how she thought of her “almost every hour of every day”.

"When she left home in 2015, our worlds fell apart. Her drawers are still full, her perfume, pens and jewellery, and her clothes are still there. Her pyjamas are folded neatly. Her school blazer is still hanging on the door in the front room, just as it was when she left."

Squires said Asma’s statement showed "a powerful indication" of the connection between Begum and her family.

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less