Kosovo parliament passes Danish prison deal

On Thursday, Kosovo’s parliament approved a deal to lease 300 prison spaces to Denmark after a protracted process lasting over two years involving political stalemates, where opposition parties refused to support international agreements. Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard called it an important agreement for two reasons: it ensures the removal of a significant number of convicted criminals from Denmark and alleviates pressure on the Danish Prison and Probation Service. The deal was initially defeated a week ago with only 75 votes but passed in a second vote with 86 members in favor. Reconstruction of the Gjilan prison will now commence to meet Danish standards and is expected to take 21 to 26 months before the first deportees begin their sentences. Denmark’s total cost for the agreement over ten years is 1.5 billion Danish kroner. The agreement, reached in December 2021, is supported by the Danish government and several political parties.