The government peddles a caricature so we don’t see her for what she is: a child trafficking victim groomed in the UK
In the wake of today’s special immigration appeals commission judgment about Shamima Begum’s status, it is important to be clear about what has been decided. The ruling basically says that being a child trafficking victim doesn’t mean the home secretary cannot strip you of citizenship.
Begum was not on trial today, despite what the radio phone-ins and tabloid headlines would have you think. At issue was whether the then home secretary, Sajid Javid, acted lawfully in depriving her of citizenship, leaving her effectively stateless. Despite finding that she was probably groomed and trafficked by Islamic State (IS) at the age of 15, the commission reluctantly found that it could not grant her appeal.
Maya Foa is the director of Reprieve, a human rights charity
