Pro-Palestine student suspended by London university returns to campus

• The Egyptian student described his suspension as a painful period. 

A 22-year-old Egyptian student who was suspended from King's College London (KCL) last year over his involvement in pro-Palestine campus activism is now returning to his studies.

KCL lifted Usama Ghanem's suspension late last month, clearing the way for him to resume and finish the third and final year of his international studies degree.

Ghanem said his suspension stemmed directly from his Palestine advocacy, and described the fight to overturn it as painful but necessary.

According to a letter sent to Ghanem in May 2025, the university accused him of a series of non-academic misconduct offences, including behaving in an intimidating manner, disrupting an event, breaching procedures, and creating a health and safety risk. 

The same letter reportedly instructed him to leave the UK for the duration of his suspension.

That suspension triggered the revocation of his student visa. Ghanem argued he could not safely return to Egypt, citing a prior detention there connected to his activism.

After pursuing legal action against KCL and agreeing to a delay in his studies, Ghanem said his only regret was not having done more for Palestinians.

The advocacy group Cage described the outcome as a win extending beyond Ghanem himself, calling it a victory for students across London who have taken a stand on the issue.

Part of a wider pattern

Ghanem's case is not isolated. Reporting earlier this year found that at least 26 KCL students faced disciplinary proceedings tied to pro-Palestine protest activity between Oct. 2023 and Nov. 2025. 

Since the ‘Israeli’ assault on Gaza began, numerous UK universities have drawn criticism for how they've handled Palestine solidarity protests, with rights groups pointing to universities as institutions at the forefront of broader efforts to suppress such activism. 

KCL has denied disciplining students because of their activism. 

A university spokesperson said the school "upheld the original reasons" for the suspension but concluded Ghanem had satisfied the conditions required for his return, making re-enrollment appropriate. 

The spokesperson added that the university is obligated to flag changes in student status to immigration authorities, though visa sponsorship decisions themselves are not made by KCL.

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