Key facts
- Estonia's Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta stated the country would not rent prison cells to the UK.
- Estonia is currently housing Swedish prisoners under a deal signed last week.
- The UK is experiencing a prison overcrowding crisis, leading to discussions about early offender releases.
- Both the Conservative and Reform UK parties have proposed renting foreign prison cells.
- Lithuania has also indicated no discussions have taken place regarding accepting UK prisoners.
- Kosovo, while open to cooperation, is prioritizing its existing deal with Denmark.
Estonia's government has firmly rejected the possibility of renting out its prison cells to the United Kingdom to help alleviate the severe overcrowding crisis in British jails. Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta stated that Estonia would not consider such proposals, especially as it is already housing Swedish criminals in its Tartu prison under a recent agreement.
The idea of renting foreign prison space has been put forward by the Conservative and Reform UK parties as a potential solution to the UK's prison capacity issues, which are leading to concerns about early releases of offenders. The previous Labour government also explored this option in 2024, but discussions with Estonia did not result in an agreement.
Pakosta emphasized that Estonia had received no formal proposals from the UK and, if one were made, the response would be a definitive 'No. No. No.', echoing Margaret Thatcher's famous rejection of deeper European integration. She described such a proposal as "mistaken, misguided or unacceptable" and deserving of outright rejection.
Meanwhile, the UK government, led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, is grappling with jails operating at near full capacity and is planning to release thousands of prisoners in October. A Downing Street spokesperson indicated that renting foreign prison places is not a quick fix, requiring complex international agreements and primary legislation that would take years to establish. A government source also suggested it would not address the immediate crisis.
Other political parties have also proposed solutions. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage suggested transferring foreign criminals to prisons in countries like El Salvador, Kosovo, or potentially Baltic states. The Conservatives have urged the current government to revive their own past proposal to rent prison cells abroad, a policy they introduced when in power.
Lithuania's Ministry of Justice has also stated there have been no discussions about accepting UK prisoners. Kosovo, however, has shown more openness, having agreed to lease 300 jail cells to Denmark for £170 million, though it stressed it would focus on that deal before considering new agreements.
Previous assessments by UK ministers have indicated that renting foreign prison space could be expensive. For context, Sweden is paying Estonia up to £52 million annually to house 600 of its offenders, with additional per-prisoner costs beyond the 300th inmate. The average annual cost per prisoner in England and Wales was £60,018 in 2024/25.