Hana Alhamoedi and her children Noor and Ahmed Alnabhani came to Dunedin from Iraq in September 2018.
Yesterday, the three were made New Zealand citizens at the citizenship ceremony in the Dunedin Town Hall.
Miss Alnabhani said they left Iraq "looking for peace," and had finally found it in Dunedin.
"We just wanted to settle in a safe country — it’s amazing here."
Ms Alhamoedi (English) and Miss Alnabhani (oral health) are studying at the University of Otago while Mr Alnabhani is studying culinary arts at Otago Polytechnic.
When they first arrived, all three thought the city was "cold", but they soon warmed to it.
"Very cold, but very beautiful," Ms Alhamoedi said.
Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich oversaw the ceremony.
New citizens: Hiba Husam Abu Ata (Indonesia); Husam Ahmad Hussein Abu Ata (Iraq); Layla Alnabhani (Iraq); Neemat Mahmoud Al Ashour (Syria); Mohamad Mahmoud Al Ashour (Syria); Aisha Abdallah Al Ashour (Syria); Mahmoud Mohamed Al Ashour (Syria); Abdallah Mahmoud Al Ashour (Syria); Nagham Mahmoud Al Ashour (Lebanon); Hana Ibrahim Ali Alhamoedi (Iraq); Noor Alnabhani (Iraq); Ahmed Alnabhani (Iraq); Isabelle Li Ling Ang (Singapore); Ma Rosario Victoria Agulto Angeles (Philippines); Rengith Balachandran (India); Afagh Bastanipour (Iran); Siavash Hagh Doust (Iran); Vincent Bouchard (Lebanon); Rhina Kristal Galam Chan (Philippines); Choon Wi Cheang (Malaysia); Xue Chen (China); Ke Qi (China); Chin-I Chiang (Taiwan); Tobias Danielmeier (Germany); Ashleigh Kathleen Dawson (South Africa); Phoebe Garcia Desalet (Philippines); Caitlin Devenish (South Africa); Jack Francis Dummer (United Kingdom); Alice Rosamund Mary Dummer (United Kingdom); Nicholas Dzadza (Zimbabwe); Nicola Dzadza (Zimbabwe); Nicholas Dzadza (Zimbabwe); Neilla Dzadza (Zimbabwe); Anke Fronius (Germany); Ehtasham Ghauri (Pakistan); Andrew James Gillies (Wales); Ashley Minn Yen Hiew (Malaysia); Sarah Nicole Hollands (Australia); Allison Ann Horsley (United States of America); Jesna Jose (India); Daniel Maertsching (Germany); Andrew William Martin (Australia); Jennilyn Mangahas Melad (Philippines); Eric Nima Nabalagi (Fiji); William John Oliver (Australia); Bryce Alan Peebles (United States of America); Nunumi Poasa (Samoa); Tom Tuigamala (Samoa); Alvin Sebastian Alex (India); Mathew Benedict Banal Solilapsi (Philippines); Hadil Eid Catherina (Syria); Alaa Sukkar (Syria); Shelley Margaret Tau (England); Christopher Robert Taylor (Germany); Ellery Belle Taylor (Australia); Sabien Poppy Taylor (Australia); Martyna Twardowska (Poland); Ewa Urszula Twardowska (Poland); Grzegorz Twardowski (Poland); Pawel Twardowski (Poland); Zdenek Vespalec (Czech Republic).
