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Sri Lanka second-biggest source of asylum seekers to Switzerland in 2015

Switzerland received 11,873 asylum seekers between January and June this year, with Sri Lanka the second most common country of origin, after Eritrea, ahead of conflict hotbeds such as Syria and Somalia.

A total of 840 refugees from Sri Lanka, most of whom are thought to be Tamil, sought asylum in Switzerland, compared to 781 Syrians and 3,800 Eritreans.

The number represents an increase of 76.5% compared to the equivalent period in 2014, when 364 refugees from Sri Lanka claimed asylum in the country.

54.7% asylum applications from Sri Lanka were granted in the first 6 months of 2015, one of the highest rates of all countries.

Compared to the first three months of the year, the number of asylum seekers from Sri Lanka dropped slightly between April and June, by 6.9% (30).

For a detailed breakdown see here (in German).

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