The English Translation:
The Conservative Party suggests bringing prison guards from Kosovo to Denmark as a temporary solution if a plan to rent 300 prison spaces in Kosovo is delayed. The plan, aimed at easing pressure on the Correctional Service while also training the guards, is presented by legal spokesperson Mai Mercado. “We are not doing this because we want to. We are doing it because it is necessary, and because the Correctional Service is struggling,” says Mai Mercado. She explains that the Kosovo guards would work in departments with deportees and help relieve the Danish guards. The proposal, however, will not solve all capacity issues in Danish prisons, but the Conservative Party hopes it can benefit the prison system despite differences in education and approach. “It is part of the current agreement that the Kosovo guards will be trained according to Danish standards. I believe it would be better to train them to Danish standards in Denmark,” says Mai Mercado. The plan includes details on employment, pay, and time limits, but Mai Mercado admits that it is not an easy task. She notes that the existing agreement allows deportees to receive visits from family who can fly to Kosovo, and therefore it should be possible to bring Kosovo guards to Denmark temporarily. “If the Danish plan falls through in a situation where there are Kosovo guards on Danish soil, Mai Mercado does not rule out allowing them to stay,” she says. “There will be a shortage of guards in Denmark for many years to come,” she adds. Problems in the Kosovo parliament have delayed the Danish plan to rent prison spaces in Kosovo. The proposal was voted down last week. Minister of Justice Peter Hummelgaard (Social Democrats) calls it a “small bump in the road,” but Kosovo has expressed more serious concerns that the agreement may need to be changed. However, Deputy Minister of Justice Blerim Sallahu has subsequently stated that the proposal will be reintroduced in parliament in exactly the same form.

Read the danish version here