100 days in office: this is how federal councilor Beat Jans fared: the comrade who surprised the citizens

The Basel native received sympathy points because he took a much tougher approach to asylum from the start than his predecessor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (60). The SPler did this by announcing that he would introduce a 24-hour procedure for migrants from countries such as Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. A pilot experiment in Zurich had been initiated by his predecessor and fellow party member, but Jans stood up and said: we will continue to do this – throughout Switzerland.

The ball rolls up and down the field

As a member of the government, head of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), Jans soon visited federal asylum centers where neighbors felt unsafe due to increased burglaries. On the spot, he shook hands, listened and expressed his willingness to consider faster asylum procedures and more consistent deportations to third countries. “Anyone who thinks that left-wing politics means turning a blind eye to the problems is wrong,” he said after almost 50 days in office. In the case of criminal foreigners, all criminal and immigration law measures “including administrative or deportation detention” must be exhausted to prevent these people from committing further crimes, the newly appointed Minister of Justice makes clear.

But it is not just his actions as Minister of Asylum. Jans also played briefly for FC Nationalrat as a left wing defender and thus made himself approachable to the parliamentarians. It remains to be seen whether he will succeed in his neat passing, not only on the pitch, but also under the dome of the Federal Palace. As a drummer in the Bundeshaus band, he knows how to determine the beat.

“Unworthy of the Left”

So far, what Jans announces sounds good to the ears of the middle class. The SP Federal Council gives the impression of being aware of the problems, says the new SVP asylum chief and national councilor Pascal Schmid (47). “Jans has announced a lot, now I want to see action,” he demands to Blick. Schmid’s party is not giving up on the asylum issue: the SVP wants to transfer 220 asylum applications to the Minister of Justice. The party has raised many of these several times.

It also sounds positive from the cantons. They say you experience a pragmatic Federal Council. Various parliamentarians behind the thick walls of the Federal Palace also say that Jans is not yet fully informed, but does not ignore the problems and makes a non-ideological impression.

On the other hand, the comrades are in discussions with their Federal Council. Outgoing Juso president Nicola Siegrist (27) called the tightening of the asylum system “unworthy of the left!” He publicly doubts whether the rights of asylum seekers are guaranteed in asylum procedures that are completed after 24 hours. SP co-chairman Cédric Wermuth (38) also told Watson about his own Federal Council’s asylum policy: “The current announcements worry me.”

Jans has to find beds

It is unlikely that pressure will ease on its main problem, the asylum system. The Basel department itself expects that in 2024, 33,000 more migrants will seek protection in Switzerland than last year.

This means: Jans must find beds for new refugees in the coming months – without causing major resentment among the population. Which will not be an easy task. So far he has not been able to say how he will master the task that his predecessor already faced. Especially because Jans has to save money given the tense financial situation.

Protection status S – what now?

What makes matters worse is that the war in Ukraine is unlikely to end anytime soon. It is unrealistic that the Ukrainian women who have arrived in Switzerland will return home quickly: their protection status S, which is designed for return, will therefore remain a subject of discussion in the coming months – and the question of whether the war refugees will be included in the regular asylum procedure will become more urgent.

None of these circumstances are favorable for Beat Jans to remain the most popular member of the Federal Council. But rightly so: conditions were already bad when he took office – and the Basel native still managed to convince many people.