A single speeding ticket was the rationale for denying a man Icelandic citizenship, reports RÚV. Such was reason given yesterday to Bala Kamallakharan, an investor and member of the local entrepreneurial community who has lived and worked in Iceland for 11 years.
Mr. Kamallakharan, who founded Startup Iceland among other local business entities, has spent the past six months petitioning the Directorate of Immigration for an explanation as to why his application was turned down. According to a post on his Facebook page, the speeding ticket in question was issued after his application for citizenship had already been submitted and was paid immediately.
“As an immigrant, I am constantly reminded how difficult it is to be accepted into any community,” he wrote yesterday. “Even more disappointing is the different standards that are set for immigrants.” In the post, he wonders whether he would have gotten the citizenship if the application had been processed faster, and whether, once he had been granted citizenship, that could be revoked if he were caught speeding.
