An Egyptian student at King’s faces potential deportation after his indefinite suspension, issued following pressure from Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) about recent campus protests.
On 22 May, second-year International Relations student, Usama Ghanem, was indefinitely suspended from the University. According to Novara Media, the University has also withdrawn its sponsorship of Ghanem’s student visa, placing him at risk of persecution if forced to return to Egypt.
The student faced disciplinary proceedings after three incidents: protesting at alumni awards in June 2024; protesting at an Iranian-Israeli relations talk in February 2025; and protesting at the London Defence Conference in May 2025.
Reportedly, the student and his family were victims of imprisonment and torture by Egyptian authorities in 2020, due to their opposition to the regime. This information was already available to King’s, as the student had discussed his family’s persecution in his personal statement when he initially applied to the University.
Ghanam was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), following violent treatment in prison, of which KCL was also aware.
Talking to Novara Media, Ghanem emphasised KCL’s lack of understanding of his situation, saying: “It makes me very sad that the institution I’ve invested tens of thousands of pounds with, the institution I’ve learned for years in, is acting like a Trumpian authoritarian regime”.
According to Novara Media, following the protest at a King’s Geopolitical Forum talk, Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) sent a letter to King’s calling for greater action against student protesters.
The letter, addressed to KCL’s Vice-Chancellor and President Shitji Kapur, denounced the behaviour of pro-Palestinian protesters as “antisemitic and genocidal”, expressing concerns over the university’s “responsibility to create a safe and inclusive environment” for its Jewish students.
The group urged Kapur to “open a full and transparent investigation into the event” and to take “immediate disciplinary action against the students involved”.
CAA is a charity “dedicated to exposing and countering antisemitism”, aiming, among other things, at “ensuring that antisemitism is detected, investigated and punished with the full force of the law.”
While the organisation describes itself as apolitical, it has faced criticism from some commentators and advocacy groups for its perceived partisanship against the pro-Palestine movement. CAA has also been involved in controversial high-profile cases, including spearheading the campaign for an inquiry into antisemitism within the Labour Party during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.
Concerns about the influence of external advocacy groups on King’s College London have been raised by students in the recent past.
Earlier this month, the KCL branch of the University and College Union (UCU) began balloting members in a local trade dispute centred on academic freedom, governance and divestment.
According to KCL UCU’s statement, the dispute stems from what the branch calls contradictions in KCL’s official stance of “values-based impartiality,” and King’s management’s alleged failure to protect staff targeted for expressing solidarity with Palestine. The ballot follows a series of demands for greater transparency in governance, divestment from defence-linked companies and stronger safeguards for academic freedom.
President and Vice-Chancellor Kapur told Roar earlier this year, “This is, first of all, a University, not a protest ground.”
Ghanem appealed against KCL’s issuing of the suspension, but it was rejected this July. The student later initiated legal proceedings against the University for “alleged breaches of his human rights, assault and personal injury, discrimination and harassment.”
Only a day after the news first broke, CAGE International an advocacy group aiding the student, launched a petition to reinstate Ghanem to KCL. The petition has been supported on social media by several university and external groups. Among these, KCL Stands for Justice (KCL S4J), Palestine Lobby and the Association of Student Activism for Palestine (ASAP).
Talking to Novara Media, a spokesperson for CAGE International stated, “King’s College London has built its repression on the existing frameworks of racist and Islamophobic counter-extremism policies”.
“It is shameful that one of the country’s leading institutions of learning has resorted to indefinitely suspending a student and triggering his potential deportation to a country with a deplorable human rights record. The legal challenge he has launched is crucial to ending such egregious abuses of power.”
Speaking to Roar, a spokesperson for KCL said, “The University is committed to upholding and protecting freedom of expression and the right to protest, within the law, and we take proportionate action when behaviour breaches our policies, decided upon through our robust processes and procedures.”
King’s declined to comment on the specific case but affirmed that, according to the university’s policy, students cannot be investigated for permissible protesting or affiliation. The University also denied that the investigation commenced after a single complaint.
A spokesperson for CAA told Roar:
“CAA’s work on university campuses is focused on ensuring that Jewish students are protected from harassment, intimidation and antisemitism. In this case, we raised concerns regarding the disruption of a speaker event at King’s College London, where the speaker was subjected to aggressive behaviour and chanting, including calls for the destruction of the Jewish state.
“We called on the university to investigate and take appropriate action against those responsible, in line with its duty of care to all students. We are pleased that on this occasion, KCL has answered that call. All universities must uphold the principles of education, respectful dialogue and the safety of their Jewish students and their peers.”
