Kazakh refugees fear deportation from Czech Republic
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 4 February 2009 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kazakh refugees fear deportation from Czech Republic, 4 February 2009, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/49904c661e.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
February 04, 2009
Children of Kazakh asylum seekers peek out of their dormitory in Brno, Czech Republic
PRAGUE – Kazakh refugees who have sought asylum in the Czech Republic because of religious persecution say they might soon be deported back to Kazakhstan.
One refugee, Karat Dosmetov, told RFE/RL's Kazakh Service that 205 refugees from western Kazakhstan and Almat, all Salafi Muslims, arrived in the Czech Republic in 2006, and have unsuccessfully sought asylum for nearly three years.
The refugees say they face persecution for their faith in Kazakhstan, but the Czech authorities consider Kazakhstan to have religious freedom, meaning the Salafi Muslims would have no problems if they returned home.
The Salafi sect is a Sunni Islamic movement that considers the ancestors of early Islam as exemplary models and refuses to recognize other branches of Islam.
Kazakhstan is set to chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2010.
