Swiss justice minister hopes EU reform will reduce irregular migration

The reform of EU migration and asylum policy is a step forward for Switzerland, which would benefit greatly if the goals were achieved, said Justice Minister Beat Jans. Keystone / Georgios Kefalas

The European Union’s (EU) New Pact on Migration and Asylum aims to curb irregular migration within Schengen, Justice Minister Beat Jans said in Ghent on Tuesday.  

The head of the justice ministry discussed implementation of the pact with his European counterparts on Monday and Tuesday in the Belgian city. 

From a Swiss perspective, the reform of EU migration and asylum policy is a step forward, Jans told Keystone-SDA news agency after the conference. He said that Switzerland would benefit greatly if the goals were achieved.  

Regarding implementation, the minister added that Switzerland would not have to completely upend its procedures, but that the aim was to harmonise various data and processes with the EU.  

The same information, such as fingerprints or facial recognition, would have to be collected and exchanged between Schengen states, which would also simplify processes for Switzerland. 

Application examinations at external borders  

The New Pact on Migration and Asylum was adopted by the European Parliament at the beginning of April, and provides for asylum procedures to be carried out at Schengen’s external borders. To this end, certain migrants would be housed in reception centres for up to 12 weeks for their applications to be examined. 

A Voluntary Solidarity Mechanism (VSM) is also planned to relieve the burden on countries, particularly at the southern borders. It is envisaged that migrants could be assigned to member states, while countries that don’t wish to participate in this could instead contribute financially or otherwise. 

Government yet to decide on participation  

The VSM is not binding for Switzerland, however it could participate. Jans said that the government would make its decision in full knowledge of all the facts.  

He added that experience had shown that Switzerland ultimately benefits when it supports other countries. When asked whether he felt any pressure for Switzerland to participate, Jans replied that, so far, he had only sensed gratitude “that we are already participating in certain activities, for example with cohesion funding”. 

EU Commission calls for speed  

The next step is for the pact to be adopted by EU member states, considered a formality. States – including Switzerland – then have two years to implement the new rules at a national level. Respective parliaments have to oversee this themselves, and in Switzerland there is the possibility of a referendum.  

The responsible EU Commissioner, Ylva Johansson, called for rapid implementation of the pact at a media event after the conference. Member states would have to submit their implementation plans to the EU Commission by January 2025; however, she recommended earlier submission. 

Pilot projects in Romania and Bulgaria have shown good results, Johansson said in response to a question from a journalist. She added that with implementation of the pact, there was still the possibility that border controls within Schengen would be lifted again. 

Adapted from German by DeepL/kp 

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