A HOME OFFICE attempt to have a Palestinian student thrown out of Britain after she joined protests over Gaza has been declared unlawful.

The landmark ruling in favour of Dana Abu Qamar, 20, who is a student in Manchester, was made by the immigration and asylum tribunal in Manchester.

Ms Abu Qamar’s visa to study in Britain was revoked in December 2023 after she took part in pro-Palestine protests in Manchester and was heard to condemn “Israeli apartheid” while voicing support for Palestinian resistance.

She was interviewed by Sky News and expressed her views.

Her visa was revoked on the grounds that her presence in Britain was “not conducive to the public good.”

Court documents showed that then-immigration minister Robert Jenrick had intervened in her case asking the Home Office whether it would be “possible to revoke her student visa.”

The tribunal declared Ms Abu Qamar was “not an extremist” and ruled that the Home Office had failed to demonstrate her statements in support of Palestinian resistance made her presence in Britain “not conducive to the public good.”

Ms Abu Qamar was represented by law firm Leigh Day and supported by the European Legal Support Centre (ELSC).

Tasnima Uddin, from ELSC, said: “Dana Abu Qamar’s landmark legal victory is a powerful reminder that government measures are often wielded to criminalise dissent, particularly within Palestinian, Muslim and other minority communities.

“Abu Qamar’s victory is a crucial step against the erosion of civil liberties and sends a clear message: solidarity with Palestine is not a crime.

“Supporting Palestinian resistance is internationally recognised and is not extremism.”

Ms Abu Qamar said: “After a year-long legal battle against state repression and disregard of human rights, specifically targeted against pro-Palestinians, justice has prevailed.

“This case has reinforced Palestinians’ right to resist occupation in the domestic context; that the expression in support of that right cannot be conflated with support for terrorism; that there is no room for abuse of power by ministers and arbitrary decision-making to undermine the rule of law.

“I hope that this ruling inspires and strengthens supporters of the Palestinian movement to continue advocating against Israel’s flagrant violations of international law.”

The Home Office has been contacted for comment.