The construction of a new Central Prison building expected to be completed in 2027 and the conversion of the facilities for illegal immigrants in Menoyia into police detention facilities for children, was decided by the Council of Ministers, Justice and Public Order Minister, Marios Hartsiotis, announced on Wednesday evening.

The Minister said that the final decision has been taken by the Cabinet for the construction of the new Central Prison building with a completion schedule for 2027. He noted that about 340-350 prisoners will be able to be housed in the premises, around 2027-28, “so that by then, as we expect, the issue of overcrowding in the Central Prison, which is an issue that concerns us very much, will be resolved to a very large extent.”

He also said that the Council of Ministers addressed the serious issue of a children’s detention centre.

“Taking into account the lack of time, but also many other issues related to the specifications of the current building, it has been decided to use the existing building in Menoyia as a place for the detention of children, but also as a place for detention facilities,” the Minister said. “It is the well-known building currently being used as a detention facility for illegal immigrants,” he added.

According to Hartsiotis, the specific building is expected to be empty at the end of 2025, since specific projects are being constructed in the wider area, in the area of Limnes, which will house the illegal immigrants