The Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP)

The Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) deals with issues such as asylum, migration and internal security. The department has been headed by Beat Jans since January 2024.

Head of FDJP Beat Jans

Federal Councillor Beat Jans

Beat Jans was born in 1964 and grew up in Riehen in the canton of Basel-Stadt. He successfully completed his apprenticeship as a farmer in the canton of Basel-Landschaft. Later, he earned a degree as an agricultural engineer from the Technical Centre for Tropical Agriculture (TTL), and an environmental science degree from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich. 

He worked as a consultant in the environmental and communication fields, partly on a freelance basis. In addition, he has worked in development cooperation, as a lecturer at the University of Basel and as an executive board member of nature conservation organisation Pro Natura. Beat Jans is married and has two daughters. 

Beat Jans was president of the Basel-Stadt section of the Social Democratic Party (SP) from 2000 to 2005, and a member of the cantonal parliament from 2001 to 2011. He served on the the National Council from 2010 to 2020 and as vice president of SP Switzerland from 2015 to 2020. He was the president of the Basel-Stadt cantonal council from 2021 until he was elected to serve on the Federal Council in late 2023.

Election to the Federal Council

The United Federal Assembly elected Beat Jans to the Federal Council on 13 December 2023. He took over as head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) in January 2024.

The Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP)

The FDJP deals with crime, asylum issues, internal security and the coexistence of people of different nationalities. Civil status and civil rights issues also fall under the FDJP’s remit, as does the oversight of gambling and international judicial and police cooperation.

FDJP facts and figures

Staff (full-time positions /2022): 2,794

Expenses 2022: CHF 2.99 billion

 
 
 

Last modification 29.12.2023

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