Shamima Begum: IS Teen Stripped Of British Citizenship

The 19-year-old wants to return to the UK with her newly-born child (Picture: PA).

Shamima Begum, who left the UK to join the so-called Islamic State (IS) group in Syria aged 15, has been stripped of her British citizenship.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid ordered the move against the 19-year-old who wants to return to Britain with her newly-born child. 

After being shown a copy of the Home Office's letter stripping her of her British citizenship, Ms Begum said the decision was "unjust" and that she was "a bit shocked". 

"I don't know what to say. I am not that shocked but I am a bit shocked," Ms Begum said. 

"It's a bit upsetting and frustrating. I feel like it's a bit unjust on me and my son.

"It's kind of heartbreaking to read. My family made it sound like it would be a lot easier for me to come back to the UK when I was speaking to them in Baghuz. It's kind of hard to swallow."

She added that she might now seek citizenship of Holland (the Netherlands) - where her husband comes from: "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."

Ms Begum was part of a trio of girls from Bethnal Green Academy to travel to the war-torn nation to support IS in February 2015.

Her family's lawyer, Tasnime Akunjee, said they were "very disappointed" with the news but they were "considering all legal avenues to challenge this decision".

International law forbids nations from making people stateless by removing their only citizenship. 

Government guidance from 2017 states that the Home Secretary has the power to order the deprivation if it would be "conducive to the public good", as long as they are not left without any citizenship.

But Mrs Akunjee told the Press Association that Ms Begum, who is of Bangladeshi heritage, was born in the UK, has never had a Bangladeshi passport and is not a dual citizen.

Furthermore, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister, Shahriar Alam, tweeted a statement that Ms Begum had been “erroneously identified” as a Bangladeshi citizen and that “there is no question of her being allowed to enter into Bangladesh.”  

The Home Office said such decisions are "not taken lightly" and are carried out "in order to protect this country".

It is reported a letter from the department was received by Ms Begum's mother on Tuesday.

"Please find enclosed papers that relate to a decision taken by the Home Secretary, to deprive your daughter, Shamima Begum, of her British citizenship," it read.

"In light of the circumstances of your daughter, the notice of the Home Secretary's decision has been served of file today (19 February), and the order removing her British citizenship has subsequently been made."

The letter asked the mother to inform her daughter of the decision, as well as her right to appeal.

The move comes after Ms Begum returned to the public eye when she was found heavily pregnant living in a refugee camp in northern Syria.

She gave birth to a boy over the weekend, having already lost two children, and made pleas for forgiveness and to be accepted back in the UK.

A Home Office spokesman said: "In order to protect this country, he has the power to deprive someone of their British citizenship where it would not render them stateless.

"We do not comment on individual cases, but any decisions to deprive individuals of their citizenship are based on all available evidence and not taken lightly."

Conservative former minister George Freeman criticised the move as a "mistake" that will set a "dangerous precedent".

On Monday, in an interview with the BBC, Ms Begum compared the Manchester Arena bombing to military strikes on IS strongholds, calling the terror attack "retaliation".

There are currently plans to change the law to make travelling to certain terror hotspots a criminal offence, but this would not apply retrospectively to Ms Begum.

Around 425 suspected jihadi fighters are thought to have returned to the UK from Syria so far.

Since December 2015, the RAF has been targeting IS fighters in Iraq and Syria as part of Operation Shader. 

RAF aircrew based in Cyprus have been flying near daily missions over the countries as part of a coalition of nations fighting the terror group.