A Canadian student arrested at a protest in the West Bank is back at his parents' home in Kingston, Ont., after being deported from Israel, but said he is already thinking about a return trip.

Victor MacDiarmid, 23, who is studying international relations at University of Toronto, arrived in Canada on Wednesday, a week after he was arrested while taking photographs at the demonstration. Women from the West Bank village of Nilin had been protesting construction of part of Israel's security barrier that they said would separate them from their farms.

MacDiarmid recalled Wednesday that tear gas was used to disperse the crowd before an officer arrested him.

"You know what, as soon as he took over me, he put this pressure pinch on my neck and I knew that his intentions were not good," he said. "And then he put me into a jeep and beckoned over an army officer, and then they started slapping me, and kicking me, and hitting me, and then eventually spat in my face and so forth."

MacDiarmid said he has been told by Israeli authorities that he is no longer welcome in their country. However, he said he is still thinking about going back.

Officials with the Canadian Consulate say they monitored the case closely and were in contact with family members here.

MacDiarmid's mother, Angela Garcia, said the past few weeks have been stressful.

"The waiting wasn't too good," she said. "I have to admit I haven't slept in two nights. But we are very happy that he's home."

MacDiarmid had been in the West Bank for about a month volunteering for the International Solidarity Movement, a Palestinian-led group that protests the Israeli occupation of the West Bank using "non-violent, direct-action" methods.