A new regulation titled 'Haft in der Heimat' takes effect this Sunday, November 1. The policy allows for the deportation of foreign offenders without their consent under specific conditions, targeting third-country nationals with active entry or residence bans.
Friedrich Forsthuber, President of the Vienna Regional Criminal Court, estimates 100 to 200 prisoners could be affected. While Serbians, , and Afghans are major inmate groups, those convicted of serious bodily harm or sexual offenses are excluded.
The measure aims to address overcrowding, as prisons hold 9,142 people despite a capacity of 8,412. However, legal requirements and conditions in home countries currently limit the deportation of Syrian and Afghan prisoners back to their nations.