Belgium Considers Agreement on Sending Prisoners to Kosovo

Prison (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

Belgium is considering options with various countries for expanding its prison capacities, and Kosovo is being mentioned as one of the potential locations.

The Belgian government is considering whether to rent or construct prison facilities in other European countries, where foreign prisoners convicted in Belgium would serve their sentences. Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden stated in the Parliament that Kosovo was “a serious option.”

She affirmed that the talks were under way, but also that other countries were being considered, the Belga news agency reported on March 27. This would solve the problem of prison overpopulation and ensure a more efficient execution of sentences.

Verlinden went on to say that bringing the facilities up to European standards required time and that the estimated costs were high – around EUR202 million in ten years. Denmark already reached an agreement in Kosovo in 2022 about renting 300 prison cells.