The British government intend to revoke her citizenship
Bangladesh’s ministry of foreign affairs have denied that Shamima Begum is a Bangladeshi citizen and said she will not be allowed entry to the country.
Begum joined fled the UK to join ISIS in Syria at the age of 15. Now 19, she wants to return to Britain and is currently living in a refugee camp with her infant son in Syria.
Her family were told yesterday that the British Home Office intended to revoke her British citizenship. It was believed that she had dual citizenship with Bangladesh, so revoking her British citizenship would not make her stateless – which would be against international law.
However, Bangladesh have now denied those rumours.
“The government of Bangladesh is deeply concerned that [Begum] has been erroneously identified as a holder of dual citizenship,” Shahrial Alam, state minister of foreign affairs, said in a statement issued to the Guardian.
“Bangladesh asserts that Ms Shamima Begum is not a Bangladeshi citizen. She is a British citizen by birth and never applied for dual nationality with Bangladesh … There is no question of her being allowed to enter into Bangladesh.”
Home secretary of Britain, Sajid Javid, now finds himself in a sticky situation, having told MPs on Wednesday that he would not change his decision to deprive Begum of entry to Britain.
Javid said that those who flee Britain to join ISIS “not least those who chose to fight or raise families in the so-called caliphate”, had “turned their back on this country”.
“I have been resolute that where they pose any threat to this country I will do everything in my power to prevent their return,” he added.
He did, however, acknowledge that the rights of her son, who was born days before the government moved to deprive her of Britush citizenship, will should not be affected.
Javid said: “Children should not suffer, so if a parent loses their British citizenship it does not affect the rights of their child.”
