QUESTIONS FOR CRITICAL REFLECTION, DISCUSSION OR DEBATE • Do you think that contentious cases, like the case of Shamima Begum, could cause an international push-back against the nationality deprivation measures taken by the UK (and other countries), or could they encourage other Western States, like the Netherlands or France, to take the same measures? • After listening to Amanda Weston’s lecture, do you think that the large amount of media attention that a case like Shamima Begum’s has received has affected the outcome, either positively or negatively? Has the extensive media coverage contributed to raising more awareness of the problems associated with the measure, or has it had the opposite effect of convincing people that citizenship stripping is a good security measure? • Citizenship stripping seems to raise issues of comity with the countries / territories that host individuals who have their UK citizenship stripped. Which strategies could international diplomacy, courts and other organizations follow to influence the UK’s position that appears to abandon former citizens and their children abroad? • Amanda Weston discussed that in the current situation in the UK, a foreigner enjoys more protection from deportation than a British citizen would from the deprivation of their nationality. To what extent do you think this is the case, and how do you think that it could be changed? LEARN MORE… In her lecture, Amanda Weston offers a comprehensive overview of the case of Shamima Begum, exposing the gaps in due process and pointing at the escalation of nationality deprivation powers in the UK. Learn more about the rise of this trend in the UK and abroad by researching or writing about it! • For UK-based learners: Look into the practice of citizenship stripping in the UK, beyond the Begum case, and search for information about other nationality deprivation cases. How have nationality deprivation powers been used, how often, against who and why? Were these cases reported by the media and/or other entities and with what angle? • For learners outside of the UK: Take a closer look at the UK’s deprivation powers and find out more about the scope of the measure: Who can be deprived of their citizenship and under what conditions? Compare this to the deprivation powers that exist in your (or a specific) country and identify similarities and differences, including around questions of due process.