OVER 2,000 Spaniards are currently in jail in other countries, with the majority – 316 – in prisons in Perú, followed by 205 in Colombia, according to the latest home office statistics.
A further 185 are in French prisons and 150 in jail in Italy.
Most Spanish inmates abroad – 82 per cent - are behind bars for drug-related offences, usually smuggling but sometimes possession.
Their only chance of returning to Spain before they have completed their sentences is to obtain an official reprieve, or pardon, from the authorities of the country where they are held in custody or, if this is not possible or not granted, to apply through the courts for a transfer to serve the rest of their jail term in Spain.
For this to be achieved, all appeal processes against the sentence itself must have been exhausted and both countries must have a bilateral or international agreement.
Also, the offence for which they are held must be considered a crime in Spain under the country's national law.
Spain's embassies and consular services are said by its foreign affairs office to be among the best, most thorough and most supportive in Europe and have a long-standing record for swift results of sentence appeals, repatriation of criminals and negotiating the release of kidnapping victims.
So far this year, 221 prisoners have managed to return to Spain to serve the rest of their sentences out of the 385 requests for transfer received by the foreign office.
Most of these come from Perú and Colombia – 77 and 63 respectively – followed by 58 from Ecuador, 32 from Italy, 22 from Portugal and 18 each from Panamá and Morocco.
During a Spanish national's stay in prison abroad, from the moment their arrest is advised of to the Spanish authorities, consular staff and the embassy in the country in question monitor the situation.
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