At the second Munich Migration Meeting on 26 September 2026, Swiss Federal Councillor Beat Jans – head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) – presented Bern’s priorities for managing migration in Europe. Ministers from 18 European states and senior European Commission officials gathered at the invitation of German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt to review first results from the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which entered into force earlier this year. In his keynote remarks, Jans argued that the credibility of Europe’s migration system hinges on ‘rapid and efficient procedures, functioning Dublin transfers and an enforceable return policy’. While asylum numbers have fallen slightly in 2026, Switzerland believes that forced displacement will remain a global challenge and therefore requires an integrated response that combines border management, fair procedures and meaningful cooperation with countries of origin. Jans emphasised that Switzerland already fulfils its burden-sharing commitments and expects the same from its Schengen partners. He welcomed the new EU Return Directive but urged member states to operationalise it consistently and to invest in incentives for voluntary return programmes. He also underlined that legal pathways for qualified workers must be expanded so that European labour markets – Switzerland’s included – can fill skills gaps without fuelling irregular migration. On the sidelines of the conference, Jans met bilaterally with Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner to examine the creation of new police-and-customs cooperation centres along the Swiss-Austrian-German border. Further talks were held with Danish Migration Minister Morten Bødskov, Greece’s Migration Minister Athanasios Plevris and UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, reflecting Bern’s ambition to entwine migration management with wider security and labour-mobility initiatives. For global-mobility managers the message is clear: Switzerland will remain tightly aligned with the evolving EU architecture. Companies moving talent into or through Switzerland can expect continued adherence to Schengen rules, quicker Dublin transfers that reduce ‘orbit’ cases and, potentially, streamlined options for highly skilled third-country nationals as Bern explores new legal routes. Organisations should monitor forthcoming bilateral projects on cross-border policing, which could speed up freight and commuter flows across Alpine frontiers.
