France’s prison crisis is worsening, with overcrowded facilities forcing authorities to consider drastic measures like renting foreign prison space and building remote high-security jails.
France’s prison system is under severe strain. As of December 2024, nearly 83,000 people were incarcerated in facilities designed for just 62,000. According to the Council of Europe, France ranks third in Europe for prison overcrowding, behind only Cyprus and Romania.
To cope, the government is exploring extraordinary solutions. President Emmanuel Macron has proposed leasing prison space abroad—a model already tested by Belgium and Denmark, which have housed inmates in the Netherlands. Estonia has also shown interest in renting out its unused prison capacity.
However, such a move faces legal, ethical, and logistical obstacles. Critics question how inmates would be treated far from home.
A Justice Ministry report recently proposed a one-time reduction in sentences for all inmates, sparking political backlash. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin rejected the idea, instead promising rapid expansion—5,000 new prison places by 2026 and another 3,000 by 2027. Much of the new capacity will come from prefabricated units built off-site to cut costs and speed up construction.
One of the most ambitious plans involves building a 500-bed high-security prison in French Guiana’s Amazon rainforest. Set to open by 2028, the facility will house drug traffickers and offenders tied to South American narcotics networks.
As public pressure grows, some experts warn that overcrowding may lead to more crime and greater risks to public safety unless deeper reforms are enacted.
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The global centre of political gravity is increasingly moving from the Atlantic to the Pacific, a development with significant implications for the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will visit Turkmenistan on 11–12 December to attend the International Peace and Security Forum in Ashgabat.
The South Caucasus is witnessing a notable recalibration of geopolitical alignments, with Azerbaijan and Armenia both pursuing strategic partnerships with global powers, including the United States and China.
Torrential rain swept across the Gaza, flooding hundreds of tents and homes sheltering families displaced by years of conflict, raising concerns that the fragile truce may be cracking as authorities struggle to manage the growing humanitarian crisis.
Scores of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo Tuesday (9 December) to protest against the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
The world’s leading minds and voices will be honoured on Wednesday, 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, as Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm and Oslo.
In a dramatic Champions League clash at Baku’s Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, Qarabağ grabbed an early lead, but Ajax staged a thrilling comeback to win 4-2.
At least 19 people were killed and 16 injured as two buildings collapased in Morocco's Fes city according to the state news agency.
Iran's President Massoud Pezeshkian has begun a two day visit to Kazakhstan, with officials from both sides describing the trip as an opportunity to advance cooperation in trade, transport, industry, mining and cultural exchanges.
The White House has confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump intends to maintain both a “good working relationship” with China and a “very strong alliance” with Japan, even as tensions between the two countries continue to rise.
Pakistan has indicated its openness to forming a regional bloc with Bangladesh without including India. The statement from Islamabad follows comments by Bangladesh’s top foreign affairs adviser, Md Touhid Hossain, that such an arrangement is strategically possible without India.
President Javier Milei has introduced a new labour reform proposal to Argentina’s Congress, aiming to address what his administration describes as a "rigid structure" that has hindered job creation in the country.
Torrential rain swept across the Gaza, flooding hundreds of tents and homes sheltering families displaced by years of conflict, raising concerns that the fragile truce may be cracking as authorities struggle to manage the growing humanitarian crisis.
In a significant shift in its foreign policy, China has unveiled a new policy paper promising no-strings-attached development support to Latin America and the Caribbean, signalling a major upgrade in its engagement with the region.
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