Liisa Pakosta, Estonia’s minister of justice, disclosed that the nation is looking into the prospect of keeping foreign inmates in its vacant prisons. Speaking to the BBC, Pakosta revealed that, at an AI symposium in Vilnius, she had talked with UK Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood about prison practices. She did stress, though, that no formal agreements or decisions had been reached with the UK Labour administration about the idea.

The jail population in England and Wales is at record highs, and the UK is currently dealing with a serious overcrowding situation.

Next week, the UK government plans to release almost 3,000 prisoners on a temporary basis. This is happening in the midst of rumours that the UK government is thinking about shipping inmates overseas, maybe to Estonia, in an effort to reduce jail population.

During the interview, Minister Pakosta made it clear that Tartu Prison, which has plenty of room because of Estonia’s low crime rate, has not been the subject of any political decision in the nation.

She admitted that the UK was among several European countries that had shown interest in utilising Estonia’s jail facilities during the previous Conservative administration. Even the Tartu had been inspected by British officers.

Nonetheless, it is said that current and previous Conservative ministers considered the plan to be expensive.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently said that although Estonia was once thought of as a potential under the previous administration, the current administration has no intention of pursuing such a program.

Minister Pakosta emphasised the more extensive talks she held regarding jail policies with the UK, pointing out that the main topics of their discussions were how to improve community safety and comprehend each nation’s approach to prison security.

She made it clear that no official agreements had been struck on the subject of foreign detainees.

The Reform Party’s Kristen Michal, the prime minister of Estonia’s newly elected government, has not yet stated her stance on the issue.

According to Pakosta, the cost of housing a prisoner in Estonia is about €3,000 per month, which is much less than the annual cost of prisons in the UK, which is £46,696 according to the Prison Reform Trust.

Renting out vacant prison space has the potential to be financially advantageous for Estonia, as it may bring in up to €30 million a year for the national economy.

In response to a question about whether housing foreign inmates may damage Estonia’s standing abroad, Pakosta stressed that while the topic was sensitive, Estonia is still a secure travel destination with low crime and plenty of available jail space.

“We even have empty prisons because it’s so safe,” she remarked, urging travellers to see the nation.