Home Secretary's refusal to grant Egyptian family UK citizenship ruled unlawful

The Home Secretary's decision to refuse British citizenship to the wife and children of a failed asylum seeker as a "deterrent" to extremists has been declared unlawful by the High Court.

Theresa May denied certificates of naturalisation to the Egyptian nationals because the man, who cannot be named, supported Osama bin Laden and al Qaida.

But a judge said Parliament had not "expressly provided" that citizenship could be refused to deter others "from engaging in extremism in the future".

Mr Justice Ouseley, sitting in London, ruled that Mrs May exercised her discretionary powers in a way which was unlawful.