Sweden is set to begin transferring prisoners to an Estonian jail this month in a first-of-its-kind arrangement aimed at easing overcrowding in Swedish prisons. The first group of inmates will arrive at a facility in Tartu in mid-August, with around 100 expected by late September and 600 transferred by July 2027.
The five-year agreement, renewable in three-year increments, has drawn resistance in Estonia. A summer 2026 poll found 54 percent of Estonians oppose hosting Swedish inmates, and the opposition Isamaa party has vowed to scrap the deal if it wins the 2027 parliamentary election. The contract carries a 12-month termination notice.
Eligible inmates are men over 18 at security level two, excluding radicalised offenders or those tied to criminal networks. The Swedish Prison and Probation Service is sending staff to Estonia ahead of Sweden's September 2026 election to ensure inmates can vote.