Book excerpt: A study focusing on Sri Lankan Tamils from the Jaffna Peninsula who, due to ethno-nationalist violence and repression, sought asylum in Switzerland. McDowell (research officer, refugee studies, U. of Oxford) bases his research on a combination of anthropological fieldwork and archival material, investigating the development of the Tamil community in Switzerland, the impact of Swiss federal policy and practice on them, and the economic impact of accommodating at least 200,000 refugees. The study provides information on the Swiss people's popular opinion (opposed to reaction) and the changes made to re-shape asylum policies taking both humanitarian and economic realities into account--a methodology being adopted by other European countries. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR