Palestinian student blocked from Harvard over his friends ‘social media posts’

Ismail Ajjawi, a Palestinian teenager, admitted to Harvard University has been sent back to his country as a result of social posts made by his friends.

According to BBC, the 17-year-old was questioned after arriving at Boston’s airport on Friday.

The foreign student, who lives in Lebanon, was found “inadmissible” to the US. His visa was cancelled after immigration officials searched his phone and laptop.

Michael McCarthy, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesman, said the decision by the immigration unit was made “based on information discovered during the CBP inspection.”

Ajjawi, who was awarded a scholarship to study in the US, returned to Lebanon after the decision was made.

Harvard University said the institution “is working closely with the student’s family and appropriate authorities to resolve this matter” before the commencement of classes on Tuesday.

The decision of the US officials could be traced to the policy of US Department of State which required foreign applicants to submit their social media usernames when applying for a visa into the North American country.

The policy also required visa applicants to submit five years’ worth of email addresses and phone numbers.

According to the US department, the measure is part of the plan to ensure national security in the country.

In 2017, the United States President Donald Trump said the country will embark on “extreme vetting” process to keep America and its citizens safe.