Kosovo Ratifies Deal to Host 300 Prisoners From Denmark

Deal with Denmark on renting prison spaces in Kosovo was ratified on Thursday, one week after it was first rejected by Kosovo MPs.

Kosovo MPs ratified on Thursday a treaty with Denmark which sets aside part of Gjilan/Gnjilane prison for 300 prisoners serving sentences in Denmark. 86 MPs favored the deal while seven voted against it.

This was second time the deal was put up for a vote. Last week, the deal got only 77 out of 80 votes needed while 10 others voted against.

On Monday, the government returned the deal to parliament while on Thursday the Committee for Legislation approved the deal and sent it to parliament, which fast-tracked it for a vote the same day.

“The aim of this treaty is to further strengthen existing relations between Kosovo and Denmark taking into consideration … the benefits that Kosovo will enjoy from this treaty,” Minister of Economy, Artane Rizvanolli, told Thursday’s parliament session.

“According to the treaty, Kosovo will provide Denmark with capacities for 300 prisoners and, in return, will benefit from a fixed annual tariff of 15 million euros and another 6 million euros for green energy, which is much needed,” Rizvanolli added.

The deal between the governments was signed in December 2021 and became a treaty in April 2023.

In March last year, a delegation from Denmark visited the prison premises.

Danish authorities have said their own prisons are short of up to 1,000 places, and transferring prisoners to another country was one of the options considered. Delegations from the Danish prison service have visited Kosovo to observe the country’s prison conditions several times.