Estonia rules out prison capacity deal with Belgium for now
The current Estonian government has no plans to lease out prison capacity to Belgium, Estonian Justice minister Liisa Pakosta said on Thursday. Asylum and Migration minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt noted that elections will be held in Estonia early next year and that, in the meantime, the government will remain in communication with Tallinn.
Together with Justice minister Annelies Verlinden, Van Bossuyt visited Estonia on Monday and Tuesday to explore the possibility of housing convicted undocumented migrants in Estonian prisons. Estonia’s prison occupancy rate is around 60 per cent. By comparison, Belgium has 13,456 prisoners for 11,296 places, 4,200 of whom are undocumented, and on Wednesday night there were 552 people sleeping on the ground.
On Tuesday, Van Bossuyt had indicated that technical negotiations with Estonia on renting prison capacity would begin. However, minister Pakosta tempered expectations on Thursday, saying that the Estonian government wants to learn from its agreement with Sweden before making deals with other governments.
"We have made it absolutely clear that this government and this composition of the Riigikogu will not be discussing any additional prison rental issues. And if there should ever be interest in doing so, then that can be addressed by the next administration," Pakosta told Estonian news outlet ERR on Thursday.
8,500 euros per month per prisoner
Estonia has a very low crime rate, which is why it has a lot of empty prison spaces. Last year, its government reached a deal with Sweden to house up to 600 of its low-risk prisoners at its Tartu prison. Under the deal, which still needs to be ratified by both parliaments, Sweden would pay Estonia 8,500 euros per month per prisoner.
In the Chamber of Representatives, Van Bossuyt acknowledged it is a sensitivite matter for the Estonian government, with elections coming up early next year. The minister added that in the meantime, Belgium is maintaining technical contacts and carrying out the necessary preparatory work. Verlinden also confirmed that the work would continue at a technical level, noting that "the future will show which options are feasible."
PHOTO © Alexander Welscher/dpa
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