Muslim convert’s plea after terrorist training claim

SUPREME Court justices began hearing the case yesterday of a man who claims he was unfairly deprived of British nationality after MI5 alleged he was involved in “terrorism-related activities”.

Home Office ministers ordered him to be deprived of British nationality three years ago. Picture: Getty

The 31-year-old man, who has not been named, claims Home Office ministers rendered him stateless when depriving him of British nationality on security grounds.

A panel of Supreme Court justices began analysing legal ­arguments at a hearing in London yesterday

Justices have been told that the man was born in Vietnam and acquired British citizenship at the age of 12 after coming to the UK.

He converted to Islam at the age of 21.

Home Office ministers ordered him to be deprived of British nationality three years ago after an MI5 assessment concluded that he was involved in terrorism-related activities.

Justices are expected to reserve a decision after hearing evidence and are unlikely to rule until next year.

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The case has already been analysed by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission and the Court of Appeal.

Judges in the appeal court heard last year that the man was born in Vietnam and taken to Hong Kong as a baby. In 1989, his family arrived in the UK and claimed asylum. They were granted indefinite leave to remain and in 1995 acquired British citizenship.

The man was educated in the UK and attended a college of design and communications in Kent, the appeal judges were told.

He converted to Islam at the age of 21 and it was alleged that he later became an Islamist extremist.

The appeal judges heard that he travelled to Yemen in late 2010 and remained there until the summer of 2011.

They were told that MI5 had assessed the man and concluded that, while in Yemen, he received terrorist training from al-Qaeda.

MI5 had said that if “at liberty” the man would pose an “active threat”.

Home Office ministers concluded that depriving the man of British citizenship would be “conducive to the public good”.

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