Overview

• France's prison system faces severe overcrowding, with 83,000 inmates housed in facilities designed for 62,000.
• Officials are considering transferring around 20,000 foreign prisoners—about a quarter of the total prison population—to Eastern European countries.
• President Emmanuel Macron endorsed the idea during a May 13 interview, following earlier proposals by Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin in March.
• The plan draws on Denmark's 2021 agreement to house inmates in Kosovo, though past outsourcing efforts in Europe have raised concerns about costs, detainee rights, and reintegration.
• Authorities are currently evaluating the legal and diplomatic requirements for such transfers, including whether new legislation will be needed to implement the policy.