A prestigious London university will readmit an Egyptian student who was suspended for participating in pro-Palestinian protests. This is because senior leadership initially enforced disciplinary action that could have led to his deportation from the UK.
Osama Ghanem, 22, plans to return to King’s College London (KCL) this autumn, nearly 18 months after university authorities suspended him indefinitely and moved to revoke his visa sponsorship, according to an email he received in late August. This followed a review of three alleged actions by him during student-led demonstrations calling for the liberation of Palestinians from Israel’s bombing and siege of Gaza.
The university said in an email that it supports allegations of non-academic misconduct against Mr. Ghanem related to these acts dating back to 2024 and 2025, but this time informed him that there were “no violations” of the terms of his exclusion.
“The conditions set have been met and there is no reason for the suspension or exclusion to remain in place,” the email said. “You will therefore be invited to re-admit for the 2026/27 academic year and will be offered a place at King’s College London.”
The university also confirmed to Mr. Ghanem in a separate memo sent on September 1 that it would begin the process of reinstating his visa sponsorship.
Ghanem’s case, reported by CNN in February, sparked a public backlash from some academics who warned against what they called a crackdown by American and British universities that unfairly targeted Muslim students and students of color for legitimate expressions of Palestinian solidarity and legitimate criticism of Israel.
Ghanem told CNN he “unequivocally” denied any allegations of wrongdoing.
He said the results of his review had set a “huge precedent” and added that he would continue to push for “the rights of the Palestinian people and the fight for the divestment of all weapons and all those complicit in the Gaza massacre.”
In June, an independent United Nations commission found that Israel deliberately targets children in the Gaza Strip and continues to commit genocide against Palestinians. The Israeli government has repeatedly denied genocide and ignored UN findings.
“A review of Mr. Ghanem’s suspension was always scheduled to occur one year after the suspension, as it is standard procedure in non-academic misconduct cases to set a specific review date,” a KCL spokesperson said in a statement to CNN.
“Following its review, the committee determined that he met the conditions under which he agreed to his suspension and that re-enrollment was the appropriate outcome,” the statement added. “The reasons for Mr Ghanem’s original suspension were upheld by the committee and clearly communicated to him. We always apply a fair approach to misconduct proceedings and have a duty to act where behavior breaches safety and security regulations or puts others at risk.”
Asked by CNN about KCL’s decision to begin the process of reinstating Ghanem’s visa sponsorship, a spokesperson said: “Decisions regarding visa sponsorship are made by UK Visas and Immigration, not King’s, and we have a legal obligation to notify of changes to student status.”
The Home Office, which has jurisdiction over visas and immigration in the UK, has not yet responded to CNN’s request for comment.
Ghanem plans to return to KCL, but the lawsuit he filed against the university is still ongoing. It alleges human rights violations, assault, personal injury, discrimination, and harassment on the part of KCL.
In a statement to CNN in January, a university spokesperson said KCL students “have not been disciplined for their legitimate affiliations, including support for pro-Palestinian views, or their participation in lawful protests,” adding, “It is false to suggest that students with different viewpoints will be treated differently.”
The non-academic misconduct allegations supported by KCL include “regulatory” and “procedural violations,” “health and safety concerns,” “offensive or abusive conduct,” and “obstruction,” according to a letter sent by senior leadership.
Ghanem does not have legal residence status in a third country. After KCL first moved to revoke his visa sponsorship, he said he feared for his safety if he returned to Egypt. He has remained in the UK since KCL first moved to revoke his visa sponsorship in May last year.
Mr Ghanem’s British lawyer, Frank Magennis, reviewed the results of the review and praised the “sustained legal and public efforts” by his supporters.
