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A student and pro-Palestine activist whose UK visa sponsorship has been revoked by his university says he fears for his safety if he is deported to his native Egypt.
Usama Ghanem, 21, was indefinitely suspended from King’s College London (KCL), starting a process that could see the Home Office cancel his student visa and issue a removal notice.
Greta Thunberg and Jeremy Corbyn are among the high-profile figures who have joined the criticism of KCL following the decision.
Mr Ghanem lived under an authoritarian regime in Egypt, where he says he was imprisoned in 2020 and tortured for being politically outspoken against government corruption. He says KCL “should be well aware” that returning is not a safe option, since he wrote his personal statement about his experiences.
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The student activist has been involved in a number of pro-Palestinian protests (Abdullah Bailey)
“Being returned to this authoritarian regime that kills its own people, that imprisons and tortures its own people would endanger my life,” he told The Independent.
The second-year student has been subjected to three disciplinary actions since last June following his Palestine activism. KCL insists “it does not subject students to disciplinary action on the basis of lawful protest”.
Ms Thunberg, recently detained by Israel for taking an aid flotilla to Gaza, posted on Instagram: “This unjust decision follows pressure from Zionist lobby groups, to which King’s College shamefully surrendered, betraying its commitment to free speech and academic integrity.”
“The idea the university should withdraw sponsorship from somebody solely because they’re activating themselves on Palestine seems to me deeply disturbing,” Mr Corbyn told Roar News.
And Leanne Mohamad, a British-Palestinian activist who ran against Wes Streeting in the general election, told The Independent: “I am disgusted that my former university is targeting a student simply for his pro-Palestine activism.
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Activist Thunberg was recently detained by Israel for taking an aid flotilla to Gaza (AFP/Getty)
“KCL is already taking disciplinary action against 26 students, but Usama is the only one who is facing three sets of suspensions. I think this sets a very dangerous precedent, not just for us as pro-Palestine voices, but especially for international students who dare to speak out.”
Mr Ghanem explained that university activism is important to him because his father, a professor, was jailed for it in Egypt. This motivated his continued campaigning for Palestine, Sudan and Ukraine at KCL.
After a number of disciplinary issues, events came to a head when he took part in protesting an event in February titled “Israelis and Iranians in Dialogue”, featuring Iranian speaker Faezeh Alavi. The event ended early as a result of the disruption.
Footage of the protest circulated on social media and was shared by senior members of the Trump Administration, among others.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) wrote a letter to King’s president Shitij Kapur calling for an investigation into the student protesters.
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Ghanem (centre) giving a speech at pro-Palestine protest in Central London (Abdullah Bailey)
The Independent has seen the CAA’s letter, which alleges “antisemitic and genocidal chanting” referring to the divisive slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”. The letter reads “this intimidation must carry consequences that demonstrate your commitment to ensuring that such behaviour will not be tolerated”.
Ghanem consequently received a letter in May informing him that he would be indefinitely suspended from the university and his visa sponsorship would be revoked.
KCL said they cannot comment on individual cases “subject to legal proceedings”, referring to a judicial review he launched against the university in October.
A university spokesperson said: “As we have made clear, students are not subject to disciplinary action on the basis of lawful protest or affiliation, and it is untrue to suggest otherwise.
“As a university we fully support and are committed to upholding the right of freedom of speech within the law and we have and will continue to support the right to protest.
“However, the safety of our students and staff is our priority and where behaviour breaches university regulations, we will investigate in line with our robust processes and procedures to ensure that an inclusive and safe environment is maintained on campus.”
The Independent has contacted the Home Office for comment.
