CYPRUS: Iranian student awarded citizenship for academic excellence

Smart Iranian teenager Datis Amirkalali, a 16-year-old student, has been rewarded with Cypriot citizenship for his academic excellence.

Minister of Interior Constantinos Petrides, in deciding to award Datis with the honorary citizenship, took into account his excellent academic achievements in mathematics. He said the boy was not only a model of academic achievement but also a prime example of the social integration of a migrant in Cypriot society.

The sixteen-year-old attends a private school in Nicosia and has participated in the annual Cyprus Mathematics Competition of the Mathematical Society, securing first prize in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Datis was born in Iran in 2002. He came to Cyprus with his parents in August 2011 and since then the family has resided on the island as asylum seekers.

As Datis is underaged, the Minister also naturalised his mother, Behnoosh Salhi.

The family expressed their gratitude to the Minister, thanking him warmly for the honorary naturalization which was approved by the cabinet.