The Latest Expulsions Warn of a Rise in Jihadism in Catalonia

Last week we learned about the recent expulsion of two radical imams who were spreading dangerous messages in La Jonquera and Figueres, in Catalonia.

This Monday, the National Police enforced the expulsion order of a Moroccan with jihadist ties residing in Mataró. He had been arrested in 2018 for being part of a cell recruiting fighters for the Islamic State but had been free since 2022.

These are disturbing reports for several reasons. First, because Catalonia, which was the scene of a brutal jihadist attack in 2017, has been leading the implantation of radical Islamism in Spain and Europe for years. Second, because since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the jihadist threat in the West has been amplified.

Third, due to the chain of attacks that have taken place in countries like France, Germany, Belgium, and Austria. Added to all this is an increase in jihadist propaganda, with calls to kill infidels, and radicalization in places of worship.

30% of Jihadists in Spain Are in Catalonia

Once again, Catalonia is at the epicenter of the global jihadist threat. In 2024, 13 of the 49 anti-jihadist operations carried out in Spain took place in Catalonia. That is, around 25%.

This is a worrying fact, considering that 30% of jihadists on Spanish soil since 2015 are in Catalonia. These are data from the International Observatory of Terrorism Studies and the Memorial Center for Victims of Terrorism.

Between 2015 and 2022, there were 429 arrests for jihadism in Spain, of which 124, 28.9%, were in Catalonia. Additionally, there is a significant gap with the second in the ranking, Madrid, where 73 jihadists were arrested (17%). The third was Valencia with 37 arrested, 8%.

Other concerning data include the high concentration of Salafist mosques where radical messages are preached. It is estimated that more than 80% of Salafist mosques in Spain are located in Catalonia. Salafists control one in three mosques in Catalonia and act as a hub for radicalizing the Muslim community.

Added to this is the permissiveness of Catalan authorities and the dense concentration of the Muslim population in Catalonia. 26% of Moroccans living in Spain reside in Catalonia. They do so in closed communities, which prepare the ground for rapid radicalization, especially among the younger ones.

Concern About Lack of Control

Amid this powder keg, the impeccable work of the police stands out, who in the last year have managed to thwart more than a dozen threats. A joint success of intelligence services and the different operatives acting on the ground.

Spain increased the anti-terrorist alert to level 4 reinforced out of 5 after detecting an increase in activity in December 2023. This has allowed for strengthening police work in anti-terrorism and dismantling several threats both in Spain and Catalonia. But this is not enough to fight against an increasingly dangerous enemy.

In contrast to the good work of the police, there is concern about the sense of lack of control due to the little involvement of political leaders.

Especially in Catalonia, where there is still fear of using a heavy hand to avoid criminalizing certain groups. It was in Catalonia where ERC, Junts, CUP, and Comuns opposed the expulsion of a radical imam, accusing the Spanish State of political repression and Islamophobia.

The case of the jihadist just expelled in Mataró perfectly illustrates the lack of control. The police had been monitoring him since he was released in 2022. And although there was a clear risk of recidivism and he had a sanctioning file against him, the expulsion has only now been enforced.

If this is not an isolated case and there are more suspects at large without the expulsion order being enforced, the concern is evident. The recent attacks in France and Germany were perpetrated by asylum seekers awaiting their expulsion. The authorities themselves acknowledged errors in the protocol and no one rules out that the same could happen in Catalonia.