Proposal for UK to construct a jail in Albania to accommodate overseas offenders and liberate cells right here is ‘welcomed’ by British ministers and the Balkan nation’s justice secretary
- Proposal ‘welcomed’ at a bilateral assembly between UK and Albania ministers
- Got here because the Authorities signed a brand new prisoner switch settlement Albania
- Announcement declared Albania would foot the invoice for housing any prisoners
Ministers have held talks over constructing a brand new jail in Albania to accommodate overseas offenders in British jails, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The proposal was ‘welcomed’ at a bilateral assembly between UK Ministers and Albania’s justice secretary final week.
It got here because the Authorities signed a brand new prisoner switch settlement with Albania after the variety of its criminals in UK jails stood at 1,528 in June – a giant rise on the 876 in August 2019.
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The announcement declared Albania would foot the invoice for housing any prisoners transferred from Britain.
However on Monday, talks between the Balkan state’s justice secretary Etilda Gjonaj and UK Justice Minister Chris Philp turned to a request for the constructing or renovation of a jail in Albania.
It’s understood Albanian officers have grow to be involved on the one-sided nature of the prisoner switch deal and are actually asking for monetary assist.
Ms Gjonaj got here below hearth upon her return to Albania and informed an interviewer that British Ministers ‘welcomed my proposal for the UK to construct a jail in Albania or renovate an present jail’.
A Authorities supply described the plans as ‘early’ of their growth.
Albanian nationals make up the most important variety of overseas offenders in UK jails The Balkan state’s prison gangs are famend as leaders in drug trafficking and manufacturing, in addition to in individuals smuggling into Britain.
The Authorities signed an settlement with Albania to take away jailed criminals in 2013 however six years later solely 24 had been eliminated. The brand new deal has a lot of amendments that attempt to make the switch course of simpler.
On Monday, talks between the Balkan state’s justice secretary Etilda Gjonaj and UK Justice Minister Chris Philp (pictured) turned to a request for the constructing or renovation of a jail in Albania
Primarily based on present charges of £44,600-a-year per jail place, the jail service would spend about £70 million yearly to maintain Albanians behind bars.
Individually, the Authorities has been in a position to take away 254 Albanian criminals from the UK since April and one other 85 with no proper to be within the nation.
Final month, the MoS revealed how Albanian assassin Selami Cokaj was deported after a 12-year authorized battle through which he illegally re-entered the UK.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman stated it will not touch upon bilateral talks with overseas ministers.
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