Justice Minister Alina Gorgiu says that 131 refugees have been brought into the country this year alone, an average of two people every day, and a bill has been initiated to ensure transparency in decision-making and will soon go to parliament, through which refugees returned to Romania will have offered to pay the costs of repatriation. This is despite the fact that the Romanian state spends 10 million lei a year to import them into the country.

“This year, 131 fugitives were brought to the country, an average of two fugitives per day. Yesterday, because I look at the data every day, two fugitives from the Netherlands arrived in our country yesterday. One was convicted for attempted murder, the third for theft. Another fugitive is due to arrive today, whom we are transporting from Germany. The reason for these people fleeing the country is that the conditions in Romanian penitentiaries are inhumane, so they will not serve their sentences in the country. However, I assure you that all the conditions at the level of the ECtHR are respected, the conditions in penitentiary institutions”, said Minister of Justice Alina Gorgiu on Tuesday evening on Radio România Actualităţi, according to News.ro.

Gorgiou states that there are many fugitives in Italy, among them are famous names.

“At the European level, orders to bring to the country, transfer or extradite are somewhere over 90% in the last 9 months, since I have been in the ministry. Madam, I am sure that we still have loopholes, little loopholes, as in the case of Italy, where there are still some names of convicts, well-known names, who managed to delay their return to the country to serve their sentence. But I can tell you that this is not true, because the penitentiary system in Romania has undergone serious changes in recent years, investments have been made,” said Gorgiu.

Romanians should know that the decision on extradition is made by the magistrates of the countries where the fugitives are, the Minister of Justice emphasized.

“What Romanians should know is that these extraditions are carried out by the courts of the country where the fugitive is located. If he fled to Italy, the Italian court decides, if he fled to the Netherlands, the Dutch court decides, and the judges have the final say. In almost every case, we are asked for condition reports and we send them,” Gorgiou said.

Alina Gorgiu: “Romanian refugees are expensive. The Romanian state withdraws colossal sums from the treasury”

The Minister of Justice also announced that two new penitentiary institutions will be built in Romania.

“We managed to sign the construction of two new prisons. In 2004, it was the Buziaş Education Center, since then Romania has not built anything. Now we have signed one in Prahov, one in Buzeu, the construction sites are already in the field,” said Alina Gorgiu.

As for the costs of refugee repatriation, the Romanian state spends 10 million lei per year.

“Romanian refugees are expensive. The Romanian state withdraws colossal sums from the treasury through MAI. Last year, the Romanian state paid more than 10 million lei to bring refugees to the country. The same in 2022 and 2021. That means we have to think about how we can legislatively restore them. If the fugitive had money to flee the country, then he has money to return. He does not have to pay the Romanian state for his return to the country. The project left the transparency of decision-making, it will reach the parliament,” added Alina Gorghiu.