Overview
- The European Court of Human Rights has formally asked the Home Office to answer four questions about the 2019 deprivation decision.
- The questions probe whether Article 4 protections against trafficking were engaged and whether the citizenship removal functioned as a penalty under anti‑trafficking rules.
- Judges also asked if the UK had a positive duty to assess Begum as a potential trafficking victim and whether she fell under UK jurisdiction for these purposes.
- The government must submit written responses in the coming months, after which Strasbourg will decide on next steps.
- Begum previously lost challenges in UK courts and remains in the al‑Roj camp in Syria, while the Home Office cites national security and pledges a robust defense as senior politicians denounce the court’s intervention.