Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, presented the party's plan to send convicted foreign nationals from British prisons to their countries of origin or, if they refuse to accept them, to third countries at a press conference on Monday (10 August). here).
In this context, Farage has mentioned Kosovo as an example that, according to him, is currently being used by Sweden for the transfer of convicted foreign nationals.
But, as there are various agreements between Kosovo and European states for the transfer of convicted persons, it should be clarified whether Kosovo is being used by Sweden in the manner described by Farage.
Hibrid.info found a video of this statement (see here).
Transcribed and translated statement:
"So let's start with over 10 foreign nationals who have committed criminal offences and are currently in British prisons. This number is constantly growing. In fact, our spending on this issue is 50 percent higher compared to 2019.
This is actually quite simple. We return these people to their countries of origin. This means, for example, a phone call to Edi Rama in Albania and other countries.
If they refuse, then we send foreign nationals who have committed criminal offenses to third countries. Kosovo is perhaps a good example, as it is currently being used by Sweden for this purpose.
"In the meantime, we are also organizing a visit to El Salvador."
Does Kosovo have an agreement with Sweden for prisoners?
Hibrid.info researched using the search engine "Google" with the keywords "Kosovo and Sweden prisoners" (see here).
The search results showed several articles published in Albanian-language media, reporting that the Swedish state had considered renting prison cells in Kosovo (see here and here).
But the articles did not clarify whether a similar agreement was reached to what Farage claims.
To find out more about this, hibrid.info searched on Google with the words "Kosovo and Sweden agreement" (see here).
The search turned up an article reporting that Kosovo and Sweden have finalized three agreements on legal cooperation, including one on the transfer of convicted persons (see here).
This information is also confirmed in a publication (September 24, 2024) on the website of the Ministry of Justice, which announced that three cooperation agreements had been signed between these two countries (see here).
All three of these agreements were expected to be approved by the Government of Kosovo in May 2026 (see here).
A Google search for the agreement on the transfer of convicted persons between the two countries did not yield any information on the details contained in the agreement (see here).
Which means that so far, there is no confirmation that Sweden is using Kosovo prisons to send convicts who are serving their sentences in this country.
With which countries does Kosovo have agreements for foreign prisoners?
Search A Google search on this issue has shown articles indicating that Kosovo has an agreement with Denmark on this issue (see here).
Hibrid.info found the agreement in question (see here). The agreement foresees that Denmark will rent 300 places in the Correctional Center in Gjilan for adult persons sentenced to imprisonment or other measures of deprivation of liberty in Denmark.
This mainly concerns third-country nationals who have been convicted in Denmark and who have been ordered to be deported after completing their sentence.
The agreement excludes certain categories of prisoners, including those convicted of terrorism and war crimes, as well as other specified categories. Transferred persons continue to serve the sentence imposed by the Danish authorities.
The agreement defines the responsibilities of the Kosovo and Danish authorities for the administration and operation of the correctional facility.
Kosovo receives payment for the use of the capacity. The value of the agreement is around 210 million euros for a 10-year period.
After serving their sentence, persons against whom there is a deportation order may return to their country of origin, according to the relevant procedures.
The agreement has been ratified and the first prisoners in Kosovo are expected to arrive in 2027 (see here and here).
In other articles it has been found that the Belgian state has also expressed interest in the possibility of renting or building a prison in Kosovo, but so far nothing has been concreted (see here and here).
What this verification means is that Kosovo is not currently being used by Sweden to transfer convicted foreign nationals, in the manner described by Farage.
conclusion
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, claimed that Kosovo is currently being used by Sweden to transfer convicted foreign nationals, citing this as an example of his party's plan to send convicts to third countries.
Kosovo and Sweden signed three agreements on legal cooperation in 2024, including an agreement on the transfer of convicted persons. However, it is not clear from the available data that this agreement envisages the leasing of prison space in Kosovo by Sweden or that Sweden is currently transferring prisoners to Kosovo to serve their sentences.
Kosovo has such an agreement with Denmark. It foresees that Denmark will rent 300 places in the Correctional Center in Gjilan for persons convicted in Denmark, mainly third-country nationals against whom a deportation decision has been made. The first Danish prisoners are expected to be transferred to Kosovo in 2027.
Therefore, Farage's claim that Kosovo is currently being used by Sweden for the transfer of convicted foreign nationals is incorrect.
Therefore, based on the working methodology, Hibrid.info assesses Farage's claim as a "Half-true statement".
Reasoning:
In the category of truthfulness, those statements that contain statements related to objective facts, the accuracy of which can be determined through objective verification, are evaluated. Statements treated in this category receive the assessment – false statement, half-truth, or even true statement.