KCL allegedly reports suspended student to Home Office, resulting in visa cancellation

King’s College London (KCL) has allegedly reported a suspended student to the Home Office, which will result in his visa being cancelled.

Usama Ghanem, 21, was told by the university that if he were unable to engage in his studies for more than 60 days due to the suspension, KCL would report this to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).

As KCL did not reinstate Usama, Amnesty International reports that the university has now reported him to UKVI, meaning the student now needs to make arrangements to leave the UK.

The 21-year-old was involved in pro-Palestinian activism on campus and was suspended following alleged breaches of university policy.

KCL has been accused of endangering Usama’s life because visa cancellation may mean he has to return to his home country, Egypt, where he and his family previously faced persecution for opposing the regime.

The university insists it does not discipline students for lawful affiliations, and disciplinary measures are taken only when students breach university policies. A spokesperson for KCL added that proportionate action is taken following “a robust investigation”, and the university is proud of its history of upholding the right to free expression.

Speaking to Cage International, Usama said he plans to take legal action against the university. However, his visa may be cancelled before his case is heard in court.

Students have been holding protests on campus, calling for KCL to reverse Usama’s suspension and reinstate him. Most recently, student activists blocked the entrance to the main buildings on Strand campus in opposition to the university’s actions.

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It was also reported that pressure came from external groups to suspend the international relations student. KCL had previously received an email from the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) urging disciplinary action against students involved in subjecting a speaker to alleged “aggressive” behaviour at an event.

Usama had three previous disciplinary proceedings for protesting before his suspension, and it was a protest at a King’s Geopolitical Forum called “From Conflict to Connections: Israelis and Iranians”, which resulted in his suspension.

Usama has received support from several high-profile figures, including Greta Thunberg and Jeremy Corbyn.

In a collaborative Instagram post, Greta said the second year student’s suspension was an “unjust decision [following] pressure from Zionist lobby groups, to which King’s College shamefully surrendered”. The climate activist urged “allies” to email KCL to “defend the right to protest and speak for Palestine”, and called for a boycott of the university.

Jeremy also criticised Usama’s suspension, telling Roar News TV: “The idea the university should withdraw sponsorship from somebody solely because they’re activating themselves on Palestine seems to me deeply disturbing”.

Leanne Mohamad, a British-Palestinian activist who ran against Wes Streeting in the general election, condemned the perceived “targeting” of pro-Palestinian activism. She told The Independent: “I am disgusted that my former university is targeting a student simply for his pro-Palestine activism.

A King’s College London spokesperson said: “We want to make it absolutely clear that we do not discipline students for lawful affiliations, including support for pro-Palestine views, nor for participating in lawful protests.

“Any disciplinary measures are taken solely in response to breaches of our policies and regulations which are in place to maintain a safe and inclusive environment on campus for everyone. The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff is our highest priority and proportionate action is only undertaken following a robust investigation, conducted in line with our policies and procedures, and only when behaviour has been found to be in breach of these regulations.

“We are proud of our long history of upholding the right to freedom of expression and the right to lawful protest. Many peaceful protests, vigils, and events that reflect our diverse student body have been—and will continue to be—held at King’s.”

Featured image via Canva and @asapalestine