The Standard View: The Shamima Begum ruling was difficult but correct
Evening StandardFeb 23
Shamima Begum Loses Appeal Over UK Citizenship
The Facts
Shamima Begum lost an appeal to overturn the UK Government's decision to rescind the 24-year-old's British Citizenship in Feb. 2019, concluding that the actions of former Home Secretary Sajid Javid were lawful.
At the age of 15, Begum traveled to Syria alongside two other individuals and, according to a UK Supreme Court judgment, "aligned" herself with the Islamic State group — marrying a member of the organization.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
It is the job of the Home Secretary to keep the UK population safe, and the risk of allowing a former active Islamic State group member back into the country would set a dangerous precedent. If individuals leave the UK to join a terrorist organization, they should not be expected to be allowed to return to the country that they betrayed and sought to undermine.
Establishment-critical narrative
If Begum was white and of ethnically British origin, the question of her citizenship would never have been raised. Begum was exploited and horrifically abused for years, and by the age of 19 had found herself a widowed mother who had lost three children. The reality is that, whether we like it or not, she is UK-born and raised. Begum deserves to — like any member of British society — face the responsibilities of her crimes in the UK.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that at least 25K deaths will occur as a result of terrorism in 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.