Shamima Begum and the conditionality of British citizenship

The decision to revoke Begum’s citizenship demonstrated how racialised bodies are always in a limbo state in Britain.

On February 26, the United Kingdom’s highest court ruled Shamima Begum, a 21-year-old woman of Bangladeshi descent who was stripped of her British citizenship after travelling to Syria to join ISIL (ISIS), should not be allowed to return to the country to challenge the decision. The ruling made headlines across the world, as millions have been following Begum’s tragic story closely since she ran away from her East London home aged just 15 and travelled to Syria with two of her friends. It also brought to the surface the anxieties long felt by members of my community, British Bangladeshis. East London is home to the largest Bangladeshi community outside of Bangladesh. This is where Shamima Begum was born, raised and attended school until she decided to travel to Syria in 2015. After spending several years in Syria, Begum was “found” by a Times journalist in a Syrian refugee camp in 2019.