Czech family granted asylum in New Zealand

Radio New Zealand National (RNZ) has reported that a Czech family – a mother and three sons – was granted asylum in New Zealand after they appealed. Only one of her children, aged nine, had been given refugee status earlier, after the family had received death threats from Neo-Nazis in their homeland Czech Republic.

The mother, Caucasian had been married to, but since separated from, her Roma partner, the broadcaster said.

Her eldest child was reportedly segregated in school in Czechia and attacked while her second son, who is adopted, was the only one to receive refugee status.

The tribunal hearing the case pointed to growing intolerance in the form of anti-Roma riots, marches and demonstrations in 2013 in the Czech Republic and racism and hate crimes it saw as becoming more and more normal, and ruled the whole family was at risk of persecution.

The European Commission has initiated infringement proceedings against the Czech state for systematic discrimination.