The case of Shamima Begum is less significant in that her appeals have failed under UK law, but rather in that UK law has been written to breach our obligations to follow the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights article 15.2, which states “No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality” (Shamima Begum ruling shows UK wants to wash its hands of such prisoners, 23 February).
I have a strong belief in human rights being universal and the UK adhering to these principles. When Ms Begum was stripped of her birthright British nationality she was not a citizen of Bangladesh, which stated that it would not accept her request for citizenship, ergo she was made arbitrarily stateless, contrary to international law. The progress of her case through the UK courts will surely end at the human rights courts, where the UK will lose.
