• June 8, 2026

Keralite Student in UK Faces Deportation After University Withdraws Her From Course

Keralite Student in UK Faces Deportation After University Withdraws Her From Course

LONDON June 8: A Keralite student studying BSc Pharmaceutical Science at the University of Hertfordshire, is facing deportation after the university withdrew her from her course for alleged non-attendance, leading the Home Office to cancel her student visa.

Gayathri disputes the decision, saying she had been actively studying under a university-approved Support to Study Action Plan that allowed her to attend classes remotely because of a neurological condition causing non-epileptic seizures. Despite multiple hospital admissions during her second year, she says she continued attending online sessions, submitting assignments, and taking exams, The Argus reported.

She claims she received no warning before being withdrawn from the course and only discovered the decision through her student portal. The university subsequently informed the Home Office that it was withdrawing visa sponsorship, resulting in her visa being cancelled from July 13.

According to Gayathri, four university staff members later confirmed in writing that she had been engaging with her studies and recommended that she be reinstated. However, the university has not reversed the withdrawal.

Returning to India would not only jeopardise her degree but also interrupt ongoing medical treatment in the UK. Gayathri says she left India to escape an unsafe family environment and pressure to enter an arranged marriage. She has funded her studies independently through business earnings, loans, and part-time work in a care home.

East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tom Rutland has taken up her case, urging the university to clarify why the decision was made and calling for a review of procedures affecting students with disabilities.

While the University of Hertfordshire has offered Gayathri the opportunity to repeat her second year from September 2026, it has not yet issued the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) needed for her to apply for a new student visa. Without it, she risks losing her visa, her degree, and her ability to remain in the UK.

The university said it is taking the concerns seriously and is reviewing the matter but declined to comment further due to privacy obligations.