Estonian Prisons in High Demand - Belgium Wants to Rent Them Following Sweden's Example 0 10

In this regard, according to Belgian media, this week Estonia was visited by the country's Minister of Justice Annelies Verlinden and Minister for Asylum and Migration Annelies Van Bossuyt.

Renting prison spaces abroad is one of the options the Belgian government is considering to address the issue of overcrowding in prisons. For this purpose, representatives of the country have already visited Kosovo and Albania.

On Monday and Tuesday, Verlinden and Minister Van Bossuyt visited Estonia to explore cooperation opportunities. According to Belgian media, it is planned to send convicted criminals without documents to Estonia.

"If a convicted person in Belgium, who has no right to stay in the country, can serve their sentence in their country of origin or in a foreign penitentiary institution, it will mean both proper execution of the sentence and a significant increase in the efficiency of our correctional facilities. It will also allow us to better and more effectively focus on programs that help inmates reintegrate into society after serving their sentences," said Verlinden, as reported by the Belgian news agency.

"Our message is clear: those who are illegally residing in our country and committing crimes have no future here," added Van Bossuyt. "Returning to the country of origin remains a priority option. If that is not possible, we are considering the possibility of detention outside Belgium. This way, we not only enhance the safety of our citizens but also reduce the burden on our prisons."

According to the Belgian prison administration, there are currently 13,501 inmates in the country with a prison capacity of 11,049 places. As a result, about 600 inmates are forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor in cells.