From Iceland — Asylum Seeker Granted Residence, Reunited With Wife

Asylum Seeker Granted Residence, Reunited With Wife

Published August 18, 2014

Nanna Árnadóttir
Photo by
Jeff Belmonte

Nigerian asylum seeker, Samuel Eboigbe Unuko, was reunited with his Icelandic wife last Friday after finally being granted residence in Iceland, reports DV

This marks the end of a long struggle to obtain a residence permit.

In March 2012 The Directorate of Immigration refused to process his application, citing the UN Refugee Agency’s report on Sweden’s fair processing of asylum seekers. However,  Unuko was able to successfully appeal his deportation in that instance.

Then last month Unuko was denied a residence permit on the grounds that his application did not meet the basic requirements of article 11 of the immigration code. This article stipulates that there be proof that the applicant’s health insurance, housing, and needs will be met in the event that they are granted a residence permit.

Dagný Albertsdóttir, Unuko’s wife, contested the verdict at the time, saying that she had proved she had a much higher standard of living than the minimum cited. 

“Luckily this battle is over,” Dagný told DV after the couple were reunited on Friday, and able to start their life together again.

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