Shamima Begum – trafficked, or terrorist?

She travelled on her sister’s passport to get to Syria (at fifteen, she wouldn’t have got far on her own). Would a white fifteen year have been stopped at that point? I think its likely

I think she travelled to Turkey on her sisters passport.  It is very likely a white fifteen year old travelling on their elder sisters passport would very likely be allowed to travel.

she tries to apply to get home. the HO say to her; as you have no means of identifying yourself, we need photo and fingerprints.

Did that happen? I missed it if so. This whole story blew up in the first place because a journalist happened across her, asked “do you want to come at some point?” she replied “yes” and fury erupted in all the places you’d expect. I was unaware that she’d actually tried to return.

It is very likely a white fifteen year old travelling on their elder sisters passport would very likely be allowed to travel.

I’m inclined to agree, but this is speculation again.

Did that happen?

Paragraph 26 of Begum vs Home Office

It’s useful to read the judgement anyway, it covers (in detail) much of the misunderstandings that arise in this discussion.

“do you want to come at some point?”

That should of course have read “do you want to come home at some point?” Not, well, yeah.

So the hardened terrorist and threat to society / teenage girl who was probably silly or a victim of trafficking* is still stateless and doesn’t have a right to appeal.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2n8xv61x3o

*delete as appropriate, I still think this is an appalling reflection on our government and legal system. No-one should be made stateless and, irrespective of whether you think she is bad or not, we should not be shunting our problems on to other countries because her parents happened to be born outside of the UK

That’s insane.

Groomed, trafficked, raped and sexually abused, subjected to the mental trauma of seeing her three children die, all before she was 20.

Stateless and a political football.

I can’t help but feel she’s been failed very badly by those with power no matter how stupid her life choices were at 15.

I’m also pretty sure she’d be back here in prison if she was white

Bang on Winston, a great summary.

A good time to write to your new MPs if your constituency changed hands. Congratulate you new MP and ask them to remind Starmer of what he stood/ stands for.

I see that her final route of appeal looks to be ECHR. I then thought about the Daily Mail reaction if ECHR overrule and she (brown girl with foreign name) comes back to the UK as a result of an ECHR ruling. The Daily Wail readers will absolutely explode. I would imaging a fair few of them would have an actual stroke through sheer anger. It will be brilliant.

I’m also pretty sure she’d be back here in prison if she was white

I reckon if the story was written with her called Alice and white the Daily Mail and the like would be clamouring for her to be allowed home (and not in prison).

Interesting:

Countries Don’t Want Their ISIS Foreign Fighters Back: A Review (pbs.org)

Terrible situation – am I right in assuming the decision that there were no valid legal reasons for an appeal is because the law gave the government the power to do this?

Unusual for a law to be drafted so thoroughly, sadly.

Terrible situation – am I right in assuming the decision that there were no valid legal reasons for an appeal is because the law gave the government the power to do this?

Unusual for a law to be drafted so thoroughly, sadly.

That’s the way I understand it… I might be wrong though.

The fact is she was a minor, and obviously coerced/groomed, so ‘normally’ any back street lawer should easily be able to fight it in court and win, on grounds she wasn’t old enough to make an informed and free choice.

@mattyfez

The fact is she was a minor, and obviously coerced/groomed, so ‘normally’ any back street lawer should easily be able to fight it in court and win

You know that this argument hasn’t been made?