Usama Ghanem, a 22‑year‑old Egyptian student at King’s College London, was suspended and had his visa sponsorship cancelled after disciplinary reviews linked to his participation in pro‑Palestine protests. The UK Home Office notified him on Nov. 28 and advised he prepare to leave within 60 days (by Jan. 27). Ghanem’s lawyers say no criminal charges have been filed in the UK; they have mounted a legal challenge arguing the university ignored his claims of past persecution in Egypt. Supporters — including scores of staff and academics — accuse KCL of discriminatory treatment, while the university says disciplinary measures address policy breaches and that visa decisions lie with the Home Office.
Egyptian Student at King’s College London Faces Visa Cancellation After Pro‑Palestine Protests — Deportation Possible
University student Usama Ghanem (center) faces deportation from Britain after King’s College London launched disciplinary action following his involvement in pro-Palestinian protests. - Ali Khadr
Usama Ghanem, a 22-year-old Egyptian undergraduate at King’s College London (KCL), has been suspended by the university and told to return to Egypt while disciplinary proceedings are reviewed — a process that coincided with the UK Home Office cancelling his student visa on Nov. 28. The Home Office advised he should be prepared to leave the UK within 60 days, a deadline that falls on Jan. 27.
A King's College London spokesperson said students there “are not disciplined for lawful affiliations, including support for pro-Palestine views, nor for participating in lawful protests." - Geography Photos/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Allegations, Legal Action and Personal Risk
KCL says its leadership opened three separate disciplinary reviews related to Ghanem’s role in campus protests calling for solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The university's letter cites alleged non-academic misconduct including regulatory and procedural breaches, health and safety concerns, offensive or abusive behaviour and operational obstruction.
Ghanem, pictured during his childhood in Cairo, Egypt in March 2011, was raised under the shadow of the Arab Spring, a period he recalls as a “complete political awakening.” - Usama Ghanem
Ghanem and his legal team say no criminal charges have been filed in the UK, and they have brought a legal challenge against KCL. The lawsuit alleges breaches of human rights, assault, personal injury, discrimination and harassment, and notes that university officials were aware of Ghanem’s reported detention and abuse in Egypt and of his post‑traumatic stress disorder diagnosis.
Ghanem says his father, seen with him as a child in Cairo, Egypt, in May 2012, inspired his desire to improve his political literacy. - Usama Ghanem
Background And Support
Raised in Cairo after the Arab Spring, Ghanem says he was politically targeted in Egypt and alleges that in 2020 he, his brother and their father were detained, beaten, electrocuted and deprived of food. His father has since died. Because Ghanem does not hold lawful immigration status in another country, his lawyers say deportation to Egypt is likely if the UK Home Office enforces the cancellation.
Usama Ghanem, right, took part in pro-Palestinian campus activism at KCL which included circulating petitions, establishing a campus encampment and staging sit-ins. - Ali Khadr
Hundreds of KCL staff and students and more than 40 academics from the university’s King’s Race Research Network have publicly backed Ghanem. The academics wrote to senior management accusing the university of being institutionally racist and urging KCL to reverse the suspension and visa withdrawal.
Pro-Palestinian university students march through central London to mark two years since Israel's war in Gaza, on October 7, 2025. - Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
University And Official Responses
A KCL spokesperson told CNN that students are not disciplined for lawful affiliations, including support for pro‑Palestine causes, or for taking part in lawful protests. The university said disciplinary action is taken only when behaviour breaches its policies, citing examples such as forcible entry into private events, injury to security staff and denying fellow students the right to free speech. KCL also noted that decisions about visa status rest with the Home Office.
Demonstrators gather at the University Of Sydney in support of a pro-Palestinian encampment on May 3, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. - Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
The UK Home Office declined to comment on the specifics of the case, saying it does not discuss individual matters.
Context: Campus Protests, Free Expression And Security
Ghanem’s suspension and visa cancellation come amid a wave of pro‑Palestine campus activism worldwide that has prompted disciplinary action at several universities. Supporters and some academic freedom groups warn that universities and governments are increasingly conflating political protest with safety or harassment concerns, a practice they say can chill free expression — especially for international students and students from marginalized communities.
At the same time, advocacy organizations and Jewish student groups have warned of rising antisemitism and anti‑Muslim incidents connected to the broader conflict, and universities face the difficult task of balancing the protection of vulnerable communities with the right to lawful protest and political speech.
Ghanem said: 'I left an authoritarian regime in Egypt to find one in King’s College London. I believe that dictators and authoritarianism are to be challenged, not accepted.'
What Happens Next
KCL guidance requires international students to be attending and actively engaging with their studies to meet visa conditions. When a student is suspended, the university notifies the Home Office, which can trigger a requirement to leave the UK or to apply for an alternative immigration route. Ghanem’s lawyers are pursuing legal remedies in the UK and calling on the university to reinstate his sponsorship while his case is resolved.
This story highlights tensions between campus activism, institutional discipline, immigration rules and concerns about personal safety if deportation follows. KCL has said many peaceful protests, vigils and debates continue at the university; critics urge clearer protections for free expression and fair processes for students facing disciplinary action.
Clarification: This article has been updated for clarity and to include additional comment from KCL.
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