Tamil asylum seeker wins reprieve in court
The Federal Administrative Court has tightened regulations on sending rejected asylum seekers back to Sri Lanka.
It said it could no longer be taken for granted that Tamils from the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka can live peacefully in the region around the capital, Colombo.
The decision follows a resurgence of violence between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels over the past two years.
The court ruled in the case of a Tamil who had appealed against his repatriation. It ordered the man be given temporary asylum in Switzerland.
The non-governmental Swiss Refugee Council said on Tuesday the court ruling confirmed its assessment of the situation.
Last year more than 600 Tamils applied for asylum in Switzerland.
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