Draft legislation has been published in Iceland’s government consultation portal proposing a temporary measure to expedite the deportation of foreign prisoners. The bill would allow early conditional release for non-Icelandic inmates who have been definitively ordered deported after serving their sentence. Under current law, inmates must complete half their sentence before becoming eligible for conditional release. The new proposal would reduce that threshold to one-third of the sentence served.
The draft amendment to Iceland’s Enforcement of Sentences Act specifically targets foreign nationals with little or no ties to the country. It states these individuals would be deported immediately upon conditional release rather than continuing their sentence under electronic monitoring or at a halfway house. According to the proposal, such alternatives are only suitable when the goal is integration into Icelandic society—which does not apply to those set to leave the country permanently.
Supporting documents note a sharp rise in the share of foreign nationals in Icelandic custody. They accounted for 83% of those entering pretrial detention in 2025, 70% in 2024, and 60% in 2019. The figures include individuals held solely for planned deportation, not just those convicted of crimes. The temporary provision would expire on July 1, 2027.