British university reinstates Egyptian student who was suspended after pro-Palestinian protests

A prestigious London university will re-enrol an Egyptian student who was suspended following his participation in pro-Palestinian protests, after senior leadership initially enforced disciplinary action that could have triggered his deportation from the UK.

Usama Ghanem, 22, will return to King’s College London (KCL) this fall, nearly 18 months after university officials indefinitely suspended him and moved to revoke his visa sponsorship, according to an email he received in late August. This followed three reviews over his alleged actions in student-led demonstrations calling for the liberation of Palestinian people from Israel’s bombing and siege in Gaza.

While the university said in the email it upheld its allegations of non-academic misconduct against Ghanem in relation to those actions, dating to 2024 and 2025, it has now informed him that there were “no breaches” of the terms of his exclusion.

“The conditions set have been met and there is no reason for your suspension or exclusion to remain in place,” the email said. “Accordingly, you will be invited to re-enrol for the 2026/27 academic year and will be permitted access to King’s College London.”

The university also confirmed to Ghanem that it would start the process of reviving his visa sponsorship, in a separate memo sent on September 1.

Ghanem’s case, which CNN covered in February, prompted public outcry from some academics, who warned against what they described as a crackdown by US and UK universities that they said disproportionately targeted Muslim students and students of color for lawful expressions of Palestinian solidarity and legitimate criticism of Israel.

Ghanem told CNN he “unequivocally” denied the allegations of misconduct.

He said the outcome of his review had set “a huge precedent,” adding that he would still press for “Palestinian rights, and the fight for divestment from all of weapons and from all complicit actors with the genocide in Gaza.”

In June, an independent United Nations commission found that Israel was continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians by deliberately targeting children in Gaza. The Israeli government has repeatedly denied committing genocide and dismissed the UN findings.

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In a statement to CNN, a spokesperson for KCL said, “A review of Mr Ghanem’s suspension was always scheduled to take place one year after it was put in place, as it is standard process for non-academic misconduct cases to set a specific review date.”

“Following that review, a panel determined that he had met the conditions agreed for suspension, and that re-enrolment was now the appropriate outcome,” the statement added. “The reasons for Mr Ghanem’s original suspension were upheld by the panel and clearly communicated with him. We will always apply a fair approach to misconduct proceedings, and have a duty to act where behaviour breaches safeguarding and security regulations, or puts others at risk.”

Asked by CNN about KCL’s decision to start the process of reviving Ghanem’s visa sponsorship, the spokesperson said, “Decisions about visa sponsorship are not made by King’s but by UK Visas & Immigration, who we have a legal duty to notify of any change in student status.”

The Home Office, under which UK Visas & Immigration falls, has not yet responded to CNN’s request for comment.

Although Ghanem will be returning to KCL, a legal case he filed against the university is ongoing. It claims breaches of human rights, assault, personal injury, discrimination and harassment on the part of KCL.

In a statement provided to CNN in January, a university spokesperson told CNN that students at KCL “are not disciplined for lawful affiliations, including support for pro-Palestine views, nor for participating in lawful protests,” adding: “It is incorrect to suggest students with different perspectives are treated differently.”

The allegations of non-academic misconduct upheld by KCL involve “regulatory” and “procedural breaches,” “health and safety concerns,” “offensive or abusive behaviour” and “operational obstruction,” according to a letter sent by senior leadership.

Ghanem does not have lawful immigration status in a third country. After KCL initially moved to revoke his visa sponsorship, he said he feared for his safety if he returned to Egypt. He has remained in Britain since KCL initially moved to revoke his visa sponsorship last May.

Reflecting on the outcome of the review, Ghanem’s UK lawyer, Franck Magennis, praised “sustained legal and public efforts” by supporters.

伦敦一所著名大学将重新录取一名埃及学生。该学生此前因参与支持巴勒斯坦的抗议活动而被停学，校方高层最初采取的纪律处分可能导致他被驱逐出境。

22岁的乌萨马·加内姆将于今年秋季重返伦敦国王学院（KCL）。据他8月下旬收到的一封电子邮件显示，此前近18个月，校方无限期停了他的学籍，并撤销了他的签证担保。此前，校方曾三次审查他涉嫌参与学生领导的示威活动，这些示威活动呼吁将巴勒斯坦人民从以色列对加沙的轰炸和围困中解放出来。

虽然大学在电子邮件中表示，它坚持对加内姆在 2024 年和 2025 年期间的非学术不端行为的指控，但现在已告知他，他“没有违反”被开除的条款。

邮件中写道：“所有既定条件均已满足，没有理由继续维持您的停学或开除处分。因此，您将被邀请重新注册参加2026/27学年，并获准进入伦敦国王学院学习。”

大学还在 9 月 1 日发送的另一份备忘录中向加内姆确认，将启动恢复其签证担保的程序。

CNN在2月份报道了加内姆的案件，这引发了一些学者的公开抗议，他们警告说，美国和英国的大学正在对穆斯林学生和有色人种学生进行打压，因为他们合法地表达了对巴勒斯坦的声援和对以色列的合理批评。

加内姆告诉 CNN，他“断然”否认了有关不当行为的指控。

他表示，他的审查结果开创了“一个巨大的先例”，并补充说，他仍将继续争取“巴勒斯坦人的权利，以及从所有武器和所有参与加沙种族灭绝的同谋者手中撤资”。

今年6月，联合国一个独立委员会认定，以色列蓄意在加沙地带杀害儿童，持续对巴勒斯坦人实施种族灭绝。以色列政府一再否认犯下种族灭绝罪，并驳斥了联合国的调查结果。

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伦敦国王学院的一位发言人在给 CNN 的一份声明中表示：“对加内姆先生停职处分的审查一直计划在处分实施一年后进行，因为对于非学术不端行为案件来说，设定一个具体的审查日期是标准程序。”

声明补充道：“经审查，小组认定他已满足停学条件，因此重新入学是合适的决定。小组维持了对加内姆先生最初停学的理由，并已明确告知他。我们将始终秉持公平公正的态度处理不当行为，并有责任对违反保障和安全规定或危及他人安全的行为采取行动。”

当 CNN 询问 KCL 决定启动恢复 Ghanem 签证担保的程序时，发言人表示：“签证担保的决定并非由国王学院做出，而是由英国签证与移民局做出，我们有法律义务将学生身份的任何变化通知他们。”

英国签证与移民局隶属于内政部，但内政部尚未回应 CNN 的置评请求。

尽管加内姆将返回伦敦国王学院，但他对该校提起的法律诉讼仍在进行中。诉讼指控伦敦国王学院侵犯人权、实施人身攻击、造成人身伤害、歧视和骚扰。

今年一月，一位大学发言人向 CNN 发表声明称，伦敦国王学院的学生“不会因为合法的社团活动（包括支持亲巴勒斯坦观点）或参与合法的抗议活动而受到纪律处分”，并补充说：“认为持有不同观点的学生会受到区别对待是不正确的。”

根据高级领导层发出的一封信函，伦敦国王学院 (KCL) 认定的非学术不端行为指控包括“违反规章制度”和“违反程序”、“存在健康和安全隐患”、“行为冒犯或辱骂”以及“妨碍正常运作”。

加内姆在第三国没有合法移民身份。在伦敦国王学院最初撤销其签证担保后，他表示如果返回埃及，他担心自身安全。自去年五月伦敦国王学院最初撤销其签证担保以来，他一直留在英国。

回顾审查结果，加内姆的英国律师弗兰克·马根尼斯赞扬了支持者们“持续不断的法律和公共努力”。