Bala Kamallakharan, an Indian entrepreneur who has lived and worked in Iceland for eleven years, was granted Icelandic citizenship yesterday, RÚV reports. Bala’s case had been the cause of much local concern, as the Directorate of Immigration had previously denied his application for citizenship on the basis of a single speeding ticket.
Bala announced the happy news on his Facebook page saying: “I got my Icelandic citizenship after all – It took time. I want to thank everyone who supported me and helped me in this journey, I want to thank you all from the bottom of [my] heart.”
In an announcement released on their new decision, the Directorate of Immigration stated that applicants for citizenship were not rejected if they had only received one speeding ticket for less than ISK 50,000 [USD 472, EUR 413]. The office said they decided to review the case when it came to light that Bala only had one fine—previous fines had been registered to his name because he was the car owner, but other drivers had actually accrued the tickets.
