The first prisoners from Denmark are expected to arrive in Kosovo in April 2027.

The first group of prisoners from Denmark is expected to arrive in Kosovo in two years.

The General Director of the Kosovo Correctional Service (KKS), Ismail Dibrani, tells Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL) that they are expected to be placed in the Gjilan city prison in April 2027.

This transfer is part of a ten-year agreement between Kosovo and Denmark, which foresees the use of the Correctional Institution in Gjilan for the transfer of 300 prisoners from the Danish state.

In return, Kosovo will benefit from over 200 million euros.

The Kosovo Assembly ratified the agreement on May 23, 2024, two years after it was signed.

The Director of the KCS, Dibrani, emphasizes that, according to the agreement, Kosovo must meet Danish standards, both in terms of infrastructure and in the training of correctional staff.

However, the renovation process has not yet begun.

"We, as Kosovo, can announce the tender today, but we have new requests from the Danish side. Their promises are that by the end of June they will send us the final requests, and we will then open the tender during July," Dibrani tells REL.

The tender is expected to include the renovation of existing cells and workshops, the creation of new spaces for visitors, as well as the training of staff to meet European standards.

Next month, 20 Kosovo correctional officers will travel to Denmark to attend basic training and practical work in Danish institutions.

Currently, the Gjilan prison serves as a detention center for more than 200 people from Kosovo. Once the renovations are complete, this institution will house prisoners serving Danish sentences.

"For this, new workshops must be built, to provide employment for the prisoners who will arrive," explains Dibrani.

According to the agreement, the people to be transferred will not be Danish citizens.

Denmark has pledged not to bring in high-risk prisoners.

They will not be convicted of war crimes or terrorism, or persons with serious mental disorders.

The Danish Ministry of Justice has not responded to questions regarding the start of the use of cells.

Previously, this ministry had stated to REL that the prisoners it will send to the Gjilan prison are persons sentenced to deportation from Denmark.

"According to the treaty, prisoners must serve their sentences under the same conditions as they would have served in a Danish prison, including physical conditions in line with conditions in a Danish prison," the Danish ministry said.

The Kosovo Center for the Rehabilitation of Torture Survivors (KRRT) has raised concerns about the transparency and implementation of the agreement.

"A year after the agreement entered into force, it is still not clear where the Kosovar detainees currently in Gjilan prison will be housed," says Mehmet Musaj from the KRCT, an organization that monitors the correctional system in Kosovo.

According to the KCS, current detainees will be gradually moved to other institutions, as the correctional system has sufficient capacity.

Musaj also raises concerns about respecting the human rights of prisoners from Denmark, who are not Danish.

"What will be the communication model - is English known by everyone, do our officers also know English, how will medical files and services be managed," he tells REL.

Human rights activists in Denmark also expressed concerns about the agreement between Denmark and Kosovo.

Kosovo will make available capacities for 300 prisoners for a 10-year period./ REL