Legal Expert on Begum Saga: There are Other Options Beyond Stripping Citizenship

Speculation has now arisen that Jihadi wife Shamima Begum; who has just been stripped of her British citizens may not be eligible for a Bangladeshi passport, effectively leaving her stateless. Sputnik spoke with Dr. Devyani Prabhat, Reader in Law at the University of Bristol, to get her views on how the situation could develop.

Sputnik: Where will Shamima Begum end up now if she is not eligible for Bangladeshi citizenship?

Dr. Devyani Prabhat: The UK government has stripped her of her British citizenship so she cannot really enter here. I expect there will be a legal challenge that will be brought forward by her family, and this will have to go before the special immigration reviews commission, where she will have to appeal the decision to deprive her of her British citizenship, and that could be quite a lengthy process.

It has to be seen whether she actually has Bangladeshi citizenship; because even if Bangladesh says they will have nothing to do with her, and they will not allow her in, it is important to look into the Bangladeshi nationality law and see if there is actually a claim to citizenship there.

This will be quite a lengthy process if the legal challenge happens, and in the meantime she will continue to be where she is, in a state of limbo and not have anywhere else to go.

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Sputnik: What can the UK do to prevent future radicalisation of Muslim youth?

Dr. Devyani Prabhat: There are many strands that are there to work against extremism, and to work with people especially those who want to re-enter.

There is data that the UK has also in the past let a lot of foreign fighters back in; and they are taking part in de-radicalisation programmes, so there are quite a few different strands and interventions that are possible.

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Whether these are all effective is not clear, but what is not also clear; is whether there is evidence that if you just block their return home, whether that makes it safer here in the UK or in other European countries.

Potentially just leaving them in war zones; when other extremists are there and present, I'm not sure whether that enhances security as well, so there are other options beyond simply stripping people of their citizenship.

The views and opinions expressed by the speaker do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.