I'm sure being sent to a (disused) prison would be a wonderful welcome to a country.

I mean I'm all for helping newcomers but sending them into a prison might send the wrong message ;)

Might not sound great on a newspaper headline, "refugees being housed in prison" similar to how I saw something about refugees in Germany being housed in some former concentration camp or SS barrack or something like that. Assuming it's a re-purposed, former prison that might not be a terrible idea. If you're fleeing possible death, imprisonment, war, etc. I don't see why it would be terrible to have some sort of "Refugee Integration Center". Spend a month there, get some cursory education on the customs and expectation in society, resources for assistance and such. This could create or preserve jobs and probably lead to better outcomes for incoming refugees coming from vastly different cultural backgrounds.

this is the kind of thing I was thinking of. it might be the best solution, except for the connotations. but just letting them learn about the culture and knowing their whereabouts and figuring out if they have any criminal tendencies in a controlled environment should be beneficial for everyone.

I've heard of at least one former prison being used for refugee housing.

Which is also mentioned in the article.

Educate immigrants? In what?

in the language and culture. also skills for work.

and by immigrants, i meant "migrants"

Who's going to educate them? The underpaid high school dropouts who normally run the prisons?