UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer regrets welcoming activist Alaa Abd El Fattah after old social media posts with extremist language surfaced, leading to calls for his citizenship to be revoked and a review of the system.
Alaa Abd El Fattah, a British-Egyptian activist, returned to the UK after being released from Egyptian jail, but old social media posts calling for violence and describing criticism as a 'smear campaign' have sparked controversy, leading to calls for his citizenship to be revoked amid concerns over national security and public safety.
Shamima Begum, who left the UK as a teenager to join ISIS in Syria, has lost her appeal to regain her British citizenship, leaving her effectively stateless. The Court of Appeal ruled that the decision to strip her of citizenship was lawful, stating that while it may be seen as harsh, Begum is "the author of her own misfortune." Begum's lawyers have the option to take the case to the Supreme Court. She now resides in a detention camp in Syria and is likely to remain there as she is unable to obtain citizenship from any country.
Shamima Begum, who left Britain to join Islamic State as a schoolgirl, has lost her appeal against the removal of her British citizenship. The court of appeal ruled that the then home secretary, Sajid Javid, had the power to set aside concerns about her being a victim of child trafficking when she traveled to Syria in 2015. The court also dismissed the argument that citizenship deprivation disproportionately affected British Muslims. Begum, now 24, is currently being held in indefinite detention in a refugee camp in Syria and her legal team has hinted at a possible appeal to the supreme court.
The British government has demanded consular access to Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who is facing a national security trial. The UK government reiterated that Lai is a British citizen and expressed frustration over Hong Kong authorities' failure to recognize his citizenship. Numerous Western governments called for Lai's release, and observers from at least 10 consulates were present in court. The trial has drawn international attention, with concerns raised about the erosion of Hong Kong's rule of law. The European Union also expressed its concern, stating that the trial undermines confidence in the rule of law in Hong Kong.