Belgium shows whether it wants prisons in Kosovo, the government Kurti says it has started a skeet with them, or no competencies.

Belgium is considering the possibility of building or renting a prison abroad, with Kosovo cited as possible option.

Kosovo human rights protection organisations oppose any such agreement, stressing the risks to security and equality among prisoners. Kosovo already has a ten-year agreement with Denmark to house Danish prisoners.

Belgium is considering the possibility of building or renting a prison outside its territory, and Belgian media have mentioned Kosovo as a possible option.

On October 6th, Belgian Justice Minister Annelyes Verlinden and Minister of Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt stayed in Kosovo, where they met with President Vjosa Osmani and with Justice Minister Blerim Saum, as well as Albania.

Official media reports from these institutions have not been mentioned that during meetings they have been discussed building or renting a prison.

But, according to Radio Free Europe sources, the issue is briefly mentioned by Belgian officials -- “without any detailed discussion by the Kosovo side”.

After staying in the two Western Balkan countries, Belgian Justice Minister Verlinden, Facebook that her country is considering “the possibility of building a prison abroad for illegal criminals”, but did not mention any specific state.

In the same post, she said there are 307 Albanians in Belgian prisons, of which 253 without residence permits.

“If someone is convicted here and has no right to stay, he may suffer the sentence in the country of origin. That means proper execution of punishment and special benefit for the efficiency of our” prisons, Verlinden wrote.

Free Europe Radio sent email to the address of its ministry and the government of Belgium, with the question of whether this country is interested in building or receiving any rented prison in Kosovo, but neither after a week of waiting received an answer.

In response to the REL question, Kosovo's Justice Ministry said that, in accordance with the Law on Government, the country's government, which is in office by the end of March, no competencies are in place to adopt new initiatives for international agreements or to enter such negotiations.

“As far as there is any possible agreement on building or renting a prison in Kosovo by the Belgian state, there is currently no such agreement, nor any formal development process”, the ministry's response said.

Free Europe Radio also asked Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani's office if the prison issue was discussed during the meeting with Belgian officials.

From this office they said that “everything is clear and is located in the media communiqué”.

In the communiqué published on October 7th, the President's Office mentioned nothing about any agreement or discussion of prisons.

It said that during the meeting, excellent bilateral relations between Kosovo and Belgium, co-operation in the field of justice, security, rule of law, the European integration process, as well as co-operation in the field of security and defence”.

What does Belgian media say?

In a published article on the Web site vrt.beOn October 9th, writes that the two Belgian ministers, Verlinden and Van Bossuyt, were on a mission to Albania and Kosovo to find solutions for the crowded Belgian prisons.

They said they heard “preparedness by the current ministers” in both countries to discuss opportunities.

In particular it was said that construction or renting of a prison in Kosovo has been reviewed to transfer illegally banned persons there.

According to this report, the cost is also significant.

Denmark will have to pay 200m euros for Kosovo's infrastructure and prison guards.

Belgium will also be significantly affected, although the exact amount has not yet been disclosed.

In exchange for the transfer of prisoners, Kosovo, according to this report, would like support for its ambitions to become an EU member.

The “will be up to all of us to help Kosovo in this direction”, Van Bossuyt was quoted as saying.

Kosovo organisations' opposition to Belgian controversial plan

Organisations for human rights protection in Kosovo say they oppose such an eventual agreement.

According to the Council for Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms (KMDLNJ), Belgium's controversial plan to send prisoners to Kosovo poses a threat to security and human rights violations.

The board's executive director, Behxhet Shala, says such an agreement would discriminate against Kosovo prisoners and risk increasing crime, prostitution and human trafficking.

He adds that Belgium can use “institutional archetype” in Kosovo to impose a deal similar to that of Denmark, against which it is also critical.

According to him, this agreement has legalised the parallel implementation of two different criminal systems -- that very advanced Danish one, and that Kosovo that is behind the standards.

Shala says KMDLNJ although it does not physically monitor prisons, due to the lack of agreement with the Ministry of Justice, maintains regular telephone contact with convicts, lawyers and their family.

For Mehmet Musaj, from the Kosovar Centre for the rehabilitation of Torture Survivors (QKRMT) organisation that monitors the correcting system in Kosovo, such agreements can create double standards between local and foreign prisoners, violating the principle of equality.

It is essential that any possible agreement guarantee the same standards for all, indiscriminately orgy, and include independent monitoring mechanisms for respect of human rights”, he tells Radio Free Europe.

According to him, such an agreement would only make sense if it provided full respect for human rights, transparency and concrete benefits for Kosovo, such as developing institutional capacities or improving corrective infrastructure.

Both Shala and Musaj say that, so far, has not been contacted by any Kosovo institution on this subject.

Some Media In Albania, the country has rejected Belgium's request for construction or renting a prison, but the Ministry of Justice there did not confirm this for Radio Free Europe.

Agreement with Denmark, debates over foreign prisons

Kosovo already has a ten-year agreement with Denmark, under which 300 Danish prisoners will be placed in the Gjilan prison.

The Kosovo Assembly ratified this agreement on May 23rd 2024, while the Danish Prison Service earlier confirmed to Radio Free Europe that the first transfer of prisoners is expected to take place in the first half of 2017.

Under the agreement, prisoners who will be transferred will not be Danish citizens and will not have high risk. They will not be convicted of war crimes, terrorism, or serious mental disorders.

In exchange, Kosovo will benefit over 200m euros, a portion of which will be invested in the Kosovo Correcting Service, while the rest will be in renewable energy.

According to Behxhet Shala, renting prisons should be halted, as “in the long-term plan, these agreements will damage and weaken Kosovo's correctional system”.

He adds that interest earlier has shown the UK and Austria, while Belgium, according to him, has taken more concrete steps through meetings with Kosovo leaders.

Kosovo Correcting Service Director Ismail Dibran confirmed in May of this year that some European states have expressed interest in sending their prisoners to Kosovo, but that these requests have been rejected without specifying which states were concerned.

This institution did not answer Radio Free Europe questions about Belgium's possible interest in building or renting a prison in Kosovo.

Earlier this year, Kosovo has agreed to house 50 migrants from third states that have stayed in the US, while expressing readiness to house even asylum seekers rejected by the United Kingdom.

After the return of the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan in 2021, Kosovo has sheltered about 1,900 Afghan nationals, who have been evacuated from this country.

Recognisors say such agreements bring benefits to Kosovo, such as investment or specific support, but no progress towards membership in the European Union or any other organisation.

According to human rights organisations, these agreements are political and endanger the rights of migrants or prisoners. /Radio Free Europe/Periscopi/