The British Government is appealing a tribunal decision in order to seek to prevent former Irish soldier and member of the Islamic State terror organisation, Lisa Smith, from entering the UK.
Home Secretary Suella Braveman is appealing the decision made by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) which found that a decision to ban Smith from the UK was “incapable of justification”.
The Dundalk native, who was sentenced to 15 months in prison at the Special Criminal Court last July for her involvement with the Islamic State, claims that as her father is a UK citizen she feels entitled to the same rights.
It was reported that the UK “has a legal right to exclude non-British citizens from EEA (European Economic Area) countries, including the Republic of Ireland, but that does not cover those of dual nationality.”
Smith is an Irish passport holder and does not have dual nationality but is relying on father’s citizenship as a defence against being barred from entering the United Kingdom.
Before her conviction last May, Smith was made the subject of a Home Office exclusion order on the grounds of public safety but successfully appealed the decision.
Braveman is arguing against the removal of the exclusion order saying that Smith, whose father is from Belfast and a UK citizen, should not be “immune” from exclusion in the interest of national security.
Earlier today former Islamic State child bride, Shamima Begum, lost her bid to regain her British citizenship after her case was “fully dismissed” by a semi-secret UK court.
The ruling means that Begum, who is the child of Bangladeshi parents but was born and raised in the UK, will be unable to return and is reportedly “stuck” in a camp in northern Syria.
In February 2015, at the age of 15, the now 23 year old travelled from London with two friends to IS controlled territory in Syria where she married into the terrorist organisation.
In February 2019 she was stripped of her UK citizenship by then Secretary of
State,
In his judgement, Mr. Justice Jay, stressed the huge conflict within Begum’s case between the fundamental “rights and privileges” of UK citizens which he described as being of “huge importance to the individual”.
While noting that national security “does not trump everything” Jay stated that “British citizenship is not an absolute entitlement for everyone” and can be revoked by the Secretary of state.
He continued that this could not be done if it “would render the subject stateless” but that this did not apply in Begum’s case.
Begum had three children with her IS fighter husband, all of whom have since died according to court documents.
Her legal team had argued that as a 15 year old she had been groomed into joining the terrorist organisation and that as such the stripping of her UK nationality was unjust.
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