Swiss-German summit on security and migration in Chiasso

Federal Councillor Beat Jans and German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt met on Monday in Chiasso, a border town in the Mendrisiotto region. The talks focused on a possible strengthening of cooperation between Switzerland and Germany on cross-border security, an issue that also directly concerns Ticino as a border region. The choice of Chiasso, a municipality on the border with Italy, highlights the broader attention being paid to security along Switzerland's borders.

Among the options under consideration is the creation of a new Police and Customs Cooperation Centre at the border between the two countries, dedicated to direct exchange between police forces and customs authorities. Alternatively, the current liaison office in Basel could be converted into a larger structure. The goal, according to a statement from the Federal Department of Justice and Police, is to improve the exchange of information between Swiss and German authorities. The statement does not give a timeline for the possible opening of the new centre or the conversion of the Basel office.

The migration situation

The meeting also addressed the current migration situation. Jans and Dobrindt noted, in their respective countries, a decrease both in stops for illegal residence recorded in Switzerland and in asylum applications filed on both sides of the border.

"Our cooperation in the fight against cross-border crime and illegal immigration must be strengthened, and we will continue to work towards this," Dobrindt said after the meeting.

The German minister and the Federal Councillor also expect further positive effects from the implementation of the European Union's Migration and Asylum Pact, which came into force on 12 June.

For the Mendrisiotto, a region crossed daily by commuters and cross-border traffic, discussions on police cooperation between neighbouring states therefore remain a matter of direct interest to the local population.