Estonia’s Justice Minister, Liisa Pakosta, revealed that the country is exploring the possibility of housing foreign prisoners in its underused jails. Speaking to the BBC, Pakosta explained that she had discussed prison policies with UK Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, during an AI summit held in Vilnius. However, she emphasized that there were no formal agreements or decisions made with the UK Labour government regarding the proposal.
The UK is currently facing a significant overcrowding crisis in its prisons, with the inmate population in England and Wales reaching record levels.
As a temporary measure, the UK government is set to release around 3,000 prisoners next week. This comes amid reports suggesting that the UK government is considering sending prisoners abroad, potentially to Estonia, as one option to alleviate overcrowding.
In the interview, Minister Pakosta clarified that no political decision has been made in Estonia about utilizing Tartu Prison, a facility with ample space due to the country’s low crime rates.
She acknowledged that under the previous Conservative government, the UK was one of several European nations that had expressed interest in using Estonia’s prison facilities. British officials had even inspected the Tartu prison.
However, both former Conservative and current Labour ministers reportedly saw the scheme as costly.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson recently stated that while Estonia was previously considered as an option under the former government, the current administration has no plans to pursue such a policy.
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The spokesperson reiterated that no official discussions have been made on the matter.
Minister Pakosta highlighted the broader discussion she had with the UK about prison policies, noting that their conversations focused on understanding each country’s approach to prison security and how to strengthen community safety.
She made it clear that the topic of foreign prisoners had not reached any formal agreements.
Estonia’s new ruling government, led by Prime Minister Kristen Michal from the Reform Party, has not yet taken a position on the matter.
Pakosta mentioned that housing a prisoner in Estonia costs roughly €3,000 per month, significantly lower than the UK’s annual prison cost, which stands at £46,696 according to the Prison Reform Trust.
Estonia sees potential financial benefits from renting out unused prison space, which could generate as much as €30 million annually for the country’s economy.
When asked if hosting foreign prisoners could harm Estonia’s international reputation, Pakosta acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue but reassured that Estonia remains a safe destination with a low crime rate and many vacant prison spaces.
“It’s so safe we even have empty prisons,” she said, encouraging visitors to explore the country.
