Kosovo’s parliament has approved a bill to lease some of its prison space to Denmark in an effort to help alleviate the Scandinavian country’s overcrowded prison system. Foreigners convicted in Denmark will be sent to Kosovo to serve their sentences, excluding Danish nationals, those convicted of terrorism or war crimes, and mentally ill prisoners. The deal, which was signed in 2022, allows Denmark to use 300 cells in a prison in the town of Gjilan for 10 years, with an agreement to pay Kosovo 210 million euros ($227 million) for the use of the space.
The agreement specifies that convicts sent to Kosovo must serve their time under the same conditions as in a Danish prison, in accordance with Denmark’s international obligations. There is also a provision for the possibility of deporting foreigners directly to their home countries after serving their sentence in Kosovo. Kosovo plans to use the money from Denmark to improve its correctional institutions and invest in renewable energy projects. The bill still needs to be signed by Kosovo’s president to become law and can be implemented once it is published in the official gazette.
Kosovo’s lawmakers voted 86-7 in favor of the bill, with no abstentions. The previous draft of the bill failed to pass in a session last week, prompting the government to offer a new draft. Part of the opposition was not in favor of the earlier draft, although the reasons were not made public. The bill required at least 80 votes in favor, or two-thirds of the 120-seat parliament, to pass. Denmark’s Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard welcomed the vote, stating that sending convicts to Kosovo will help balance Denmark’s prison system and send a clear signal to foreign criminals that their future is not in Denmark.
According to the Justice Ministry, a Danish warden will oversee the facility in Kosovo, with the assistance of local prison staff. Kosovo’s prison system has the capacity to house up to 2,800 prisoners, but it is unclear how many cells are currently unoccupied. The deal aims to benefit both countries by helping Denmark alleviate its overcrowded prison system while providing Kosovo with additional funding to improve its correctional facilities and invest in renewable energy. Once the bill is signed by Kosovo’s president and published, Denmark can begin sending convicts to serve their sentences in Kosovo under the terms of the agreement.
