In 2011, American citizen Amanda (Mandie) Wood married an Icelandic man and was unable to register with Útlendingastofnun, the immigration depart in Iceland, to live legally in Iceland as the spouse of an Icelandic citizen. Her now ex-husband refused to register himself as living and working in his home country. This, in turn, made it legally impossible for her register with the government as a resident of the country.

In June 2013, after leaving an abusive marriage in which she was repeatedly told by her husband that if she did leave him the police and immigration would deport her instead of helping her, she filed for divorce and again tried to register herself as a resident of Iceland. Upon contacting Útlendingastofnun she was advised on what paperwork was required of her and she turned in everything that she was asked for. She was not given a response until February 2014. At this time, the immigration department concluded that she did not have enough ties to Iceland and must leave within 30 days.

Having no one that she could return to in the U.S., she filed an appeal with Innaríkisráðuneytið, the Interior of the Ministry in Iceland. She did not receive a reply on her appeal until March of 2015. Again the decision was the same, "not enough ties to Iceland, go home."

Despite the fact that Iceland preaches women's rights and that it is illegal for an Icelandic citizen to keep his or her spouse from registering as a legal resident of the country, Mandie's ex-husband faces no legal consequences for his actions while she is being asked to leave the country where she has friends and a life to live to homeless. The law in Iceland essentially allows its citizens to harbor illegal spouses and then holds the victims responsible.

Instead of deporting her and leaving her homeless, Mandie should be given permission to continue the life she has built in Iceland. She should be given residency and a work permit and her ex-husband should be the one to face the consequences of his actions.