Estonia Rules Out Taking Prisoners From the UK

Estonia has rejected proposals to take prisoners from the UK as a way to reduce overcrowding in British jails, saying it would not rent out its prison capacity while it is already holding foreign offenders under an existing agreement.

Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta told the BBC that Estonia would not lease cells to other countries while it houses criminals from Sweden at its Tartu prison, which she said is only partly full. She said the government had not received any approach from the UK to rent prison space, adding that any such proposal would be refused.

“Such a proposal would not merely be mistaken, misguided or unacceptable; it would deserve to be rejected outright,” Pakosta said. She added that Estonia’s response would be “unequivocal” using former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s repeated “No. No. No.” response to calls for deeper political and economic integration within the European Community, later followed by the European Union.

Pakosta’s remarks came after suggestions from UK opposition parties and Conservative figures that foreign prison leasing could help create space and reduce the risk of early releases for some people serving sentences in England and Wales.

In 2024, a Labour government also explored the idea of housing some prisoners from abroad, including through discussions with Estonia, but talks did not result in an agreement.

The minister said she had met the then-UK Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood during discussions in Lithuania. She said Estonia had not been asked by London to rent out cells.

Estonia says no proposals have been received

Pakosta said no request from the UK had been made to lease prison places. She did not indicate any circumstances under which Estonia would reconsider, arguing that a UK proposal would be rejected outright.

Estonia has said it expects Sweden to pay for holding some of its offenders at Tartu. Under the deal agreed last week, Sweden would pay up to £52m (€61m) per year if Estonia houses 600 Swedish prisoners at the prison. Estonia said that from the 301st inmate onward, Sweden would pay an additional £7,254 (€8,500) per prisoner each month.

UK weighs “not a quick fix” foreign leasing

In the UK, Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s government is preparing for early releases of thousands of prisoners in October as it attempts to make room in jails that are close to full capacity.

Downing Street said on Monday it did not rule out renting space in foreign prisons when asked whether the government was considering such steps. A No 10 spokesperson said the focus was on creating extra capacity inside the domestic system, adding that leasing abroad would not work as a rapid solution. The spokesperson said it would require primary legislation supported by a complex international agreement that could take several years to finalise.

A government source told the BBC that renting overseas prison places would not address the immediate pressures in prisons.

Burnham has instructed the justice secretary to bring forward a plan by September to create more space, with options including removing more foreign national offenders from prisons, releasing some people serving indefinite sentences, and using capacity in women’s jails for male inmates.

Opposition suggests overseas transfers

Other political parties have put forward different approaches. Reform UK suggested on Monday that 10,000 prison spaces could be freed if all foreign criminals were sent abroad to serve their sentences. Party leader Nigel Farage said his party was examining prisoner transfer options that could include El Salvador and Kosovo, and he also referenced the possibility of discussions with Baltic states such as Lithuania and Estonia.

Reform UK later said its focus was on El Salvador, Kosovo and possibly other countries willing to engage.

The Conservatives have urged Burnham to revive a proposal introduced when they were in government in 2023, when they legislated for overseas cell rental as a response to overcrowding. Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Labour’s failure to pursue the idea amounted to a “catastrophic mistake” that should be reversed.

Lithuania, however, said it has not been in talks about accepting transfers from the UK. Its Ministry of Justice stated that there were no discussions or consultations about taking Lithuanian citizens imprisoned in the UK and that it did not see scope for practical arrangements of that kind.

Kosovo has been more open to co-operation, having agreed to lease 300 prison cells to Denmark under a deal worth £170m (€200m). A Kosovo spokesperson said the government valued efforts by partner countries to develop new co-operation initiatives, while adding that Kosovo would focus on implementing its agreement with Denmark before entering any similar deal.

The BBC has previously been told by former ministers from both Labour and the Conservatives that leasing prison space abroad would likely be expensive.

Join the discussion?

13 August 2026