The applicant, a national from Iraq, enjoyed residence on humanitarian grounds in Iceland since 2018. On 18 October 2022, the authorities revoked her protection and residence permit on the grounds that she had travelled twice to her country of origin, and that the nature of the family ties which formed the basis for granting her a residence permit had changed since she had turned 18. The applicant contested the revocation of her protection.

When asked about her trips to Iraq, the applicant replied that she had been there to get married and later to visit her husband who could not visit her in Iceland. However, the Icelandic authorities concluded that the fact that she had spent time in Iraq without encountering problems meant she had voluntarily availed herself of the protection of her country of origin.

The Immigration Appeals Board ruled that the fact that the applicant had travel to Iraq twice was insufficient to conclude that she had availed herself of the protection of her country of origin, since it was established that she did so only because her husband, who has been residing regularly in Iceland since, could not obtain a visa at the time. The board also noted that the family ties on the basis on which the applicant had been granted protection in the first place still existed, since her close family still enjoyed protection in Iceland. Moreover, the board found that the applicant's guardians had not been informed of the right of their children to apply for citizenship when turning 18. Recalling the importance to balance the interests of society with the interest of the party and their reasonable expectations when revoking protection, the Immigration Appeals Board annulled the contested decision.