Jans’ first time – that’s what the meeting of EU Home Affairs Ministers was about. Harassment and vandalism on SBB trains can now be reported anonymously

Federal Councilor Beat Jans took part in the meeting of the EU Ministers of the Interior for the first time on Thursday. No concrete decisions have been taken. Jans’ goal was therefore to get to know as many of his colleagues as possible and to exchange views with them, as he said before the meeting in Brussels.

The issues in the field of international security and migration are very complex. These can only be solved together, Jans continued. That works best ‘if you know each other and what each other’s needs and concerns are’.

No concrete bilateral meetings were planned. But he said he’s trying to talk to as many of his colleagues as possible. There has already been an invitation from the French Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin to Paris. But there is no specific date yet.

A key topic at the ministerial meeting was international crime – especially cocaine trafficking, which has risen sharply in the EU and Switzerland. Drug traffickers from Latin America and the Middle East in particular are currently flooding Europe with cocaine.

Port alliance against drug trafficking

Minister of Justice Jans emphasized the importance of cooperation. The fight against drug trafficking is “an extremely difficult task that can only be solved together.” This is not only about the drug trade itself, but also about the crime that accompanies it, said the head of the Federal Ministry of Justice and Police (FDJP).

To better combat drug trafficking, a newly established European Port Alliance was launched on Wednesday in Antwerp, Belgium. The alliance consists of almost twenty ports. In addition to the national investigative authorities, Europol and the border protection organization Frontex also support the alliance. According to EU Justice Commissioner Ylva Johansson, around 70 percent of drugs seized are smuggled into the EU by sea.

Federal councilor Jans, who was in Antwerp with his ministerial colleagues, welcomed this port alliance to Swiss journalists.

Jans praises the migration pact

The migration issue was also on the agenda of EU ministers. Within the EU, there had been discussions about a comprehensive migration pact for years. This implies, for example, a solidarity mechanism and better protection of the EU’s external borders. Last December, an agreement was finally reached between the EU countries and the EU Parliament.

Switzerland will have to adopt parts of the pact because of the agreements with the EU on Schengen and Dublin. According to Jans, what exactly this looks like is “still completely unclear”, as EU regulations on this matter have not yet been adopted.

“But fundamentally we view this pact as positive and believe that it will also be very useful for Switzerland in controlling the migration problem,” the EYPD leader said.

Ministers also discussed Ukraine and the special protection status of Ukrainian refugees. When asked about this, Jans said they would coordinate with the EU. With “Status S”, Switzerland has its own special status for Ukrainian refugees, separate from the EU.

Criticism of German border controls

As part of his bilateral talks, Jans reiterated to German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser the Federal Council’s dissatisfaction with Germany’s unilateral border controls. As the EYPD announced in the evening, Germany repeatedly emphasized that cooperation was functioning well.

There is also a joint action plan to combat secondary migration, the report said. “No checks are necessary at the border with Switzerland,” Jans said, according to his department.

(hah/sda)