Aid worker stranded in Syria after British citizenship revoked

A British aid worker and his family say they are stuck in Syria after his UK citizenship has been revoked and his eldest daughter refused a passport, the Guardian reported.

Tauqir Sharif, 31, from Walthamstow, who lives and works in Idlib alongside his British wife, Racquell Hayden-Best, had his citizenship revoked in May 2017. Speaking to the Guardian this week, he called on the UK government to review its revocation policy for those engaged in humanitarian work in conflict zones.

Sharif is appealing against the UK government’s decision and has asked for a fair hearing in an open court where evidence against him can be tested by a judge and jury. He claims aid workers and doctors are unfairly judged in the same category as jihadists.

“Our job is to help those in need,” Sharif said. 

Sharif founded the organisation Live Updates from Syria in 2012, providing support and assistance for families there, and raising awareness about the devastating situation on the ground.

“I know people are saying it’s strange that as the war in Syria is coming to an end, people coming out of ISIS are claiming to be aid workers,” he said. “There may be people using that as cover, but for myself and my wife, our history is very well documented. We have 41 projects running, with 170 staff. We are a well-established organisation on the ground. Syrian people see the value in our work and love us.

“I’m not an ISIS sympathiser. They have tried to kill me. I believe that they are the worst representation of Muslims.”

The UK Home Office faces the dilemma of determining citizenship rights of hundreds of British nationals and, in some cases, their children, who seek to return home. Work carried out by aid workers and doctors operating in conflict zones can complicate matters significantly, as humanitarian work can blur the rules of engagement.