Dana Abuqamar, who lost 15 family members in Gaza, said the Home Office revoked her visa on ‘security grounds’

The UK government has revoked the student visa of a Palestinian student who lost relatives in Gaza after she spoke at a demonstration at the University of Manchester.

Dana Abuqamar, a law student who heads the Friends of Palestine Society at the University of Manchester, said the UK government revoked her visa on “national security” grounds, after claiming she was a risk to public safety.

“The claim they are making is baseless and violates my rights as a resident here in the UK. My legal team has lodged a human rights appeal against this decision to revoke my student visa in my last and final year as a law student,” Abuqamar said, speaking to Al Jazeera English, confirming that her visa had been revoked.

Last year, Abuqamar revealed that she had lost at least 15 relatives in Gaza after the Israeli army bombed a three-storey building in the besieged enclave.

  • ReallyKinda@kbin.social
    0·
    6 months ago

    But in a response to her visa application, the Home Office told Ashkar that it had been denied on the grounds that granting it would “harm the public interest”, without giving any further reasons or explanation.

    • saltesc@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      6 months ago

      Last year, Abuqamar faced criticism for comments she made at a pro-Palestine rally where she said, "We are full of pride, we are really, full of joy at what has happened”, following the 7 October Hamas-led attacks on Israel.

      • protist@mander.xyzEnglish
        1·
        6 months ago

        Yeah imma need to see the words in the speech surrounding that sentence before I can draw any conclusions. That could be taken wildly out of context for all we’re presented with here.

        Even in a worst case scenario, why now and not last year?