A Palestinian student in France has been expelled after being accused of posting antisemitic comments online. The 25-year-old woman arrived in France from Gaza in July 2023 on a government scholarship and was set to begin studies at Sciences Po Lille this autumn. However, her university has now withdrawn her admission, and she will be deported.
French officials say the scholarship program is temporarily frozen while investigations continue. More than 500 people have been brought to France from Gaza under this program since the Israel-Hamas conflict intensified on October 7, 2023.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the woman's online account would be shut down, and legal action pursued. He stated, "Hamas propagandists have no place in our country," expressing zero tolerance for extremist content.
Sciences Po Lille confirmed to AFP that the woman's online posts were "in direct contradiction with the values" of the institution. As a result, she has been removed from the university registry, losing her legal right to stay in France.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot admitted that previous background checks by French and Israeli authorities failed to detect her "unacceptable" views. He said all current Palestinian scholarship holders in France will now undergo new screening.
The case has sparked debate in France over freedom of speech, immigration, and national security. Authorities are reviewing how this situation occurred and taking steps to prevent future cases of extremist influence in state-sponsored programs.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yl7n42325o