UK-born woman who joined IS loses citizenship appeal

Shamima Begum who travelled to Syria to join Islamic State
A court has upheld the UK government's decision to strip Shamima Begum of British citizenship. -AP

A British-born woman who went to Syria as a schoolgirl to join Islamic State has lost her latest appeal over the removal of her UK citizenship.

The British government took away Shamima Begum's citizenship on national security grounds in 2019, shortly after she was found in a detention camp in Syria.

Begum, now 24, argued the decision was unlawful, in part because UK officials failed to properly consider whether she was a victim of trafficking, an argument that was rejected by a lower court in February 2023.

The Court of Appeal in London rejected her appeal on Friday following an appeal in October.

Judge Sue Carr said: "It could be argued that the decision in Ms Begum's case was harsh. It could also be argued that Ms Begum is the author of her own misfortune.

"But it is not for this court to agree or disagree with either point of view. Our only task is to assess whether the deprivation decision was unlawful.

"We have concluded it was not and the appeal is dismissed."Â