Catalonia Accounts for Nearly One-Third of National Arrests
According to long-term monitoring data on jihadist activity in Spain, the Autonomous Community of Catalonia has been a key area for the country’s counter-terrorism operations for six consecutive years. Statistics show that in the decade between 2015 and 2025, approximately 33% of all extremism-related arrests in Spain occurred in Catalonia. The Community of Madrid ranked second, but its number of related arrests was less than 15%, about half of Catalonia’s. Analysts suggest that the high number of arrests indicates the possible existence of dense radicalization networks, but this does not directly equate to the region’s absolute security risk level.
Counter-terrorism pressure in other autonomous communities should not be overlooked. The Valencian Community (9.4%), Andalusia (9.15%), and the enclave of Melilla (8.86%) follow closely. In contrast, Ceuta, the other enclave with a similar geographical and social profile, has seen its total arrests over the past decade amount to only about 50% of Melilla’s. Data indicates that Ceuta experienced a peak in arrests between 2015 and 2017, followed by a significant downward trend. Additionally, several other autonomous communities, such as the Basque Country, the Canary Islands, and Castilla-La Mancha, have sporadically reported related counter-terrorism cases.
High Proportion of Moroccan and Spanish Suspects Persists
Statistics from the Memorial Center for the Victims of Terrorism show that Morocco and Spain are the top two countries of origin for jihadist suspects. In the latest arrest records for 2025, nationals from these two countries accounted for two-thirds of the total number of people arrested. They were followed by nationals from Pakistan (12 people), Algeria (5 people), and Tajikistan, Syria, and Lebanon (4 people each). A few other suspects came from countries including Belgium, Ukraine, Brazil, Jordan, and Bosnia.
Extending the timeline from 2015 to 2025, the concentration of nationalities becomes even more apparent: Moroccan nationals account for nearly 40% of all arrestees, while Spanish nationals make up 34.5%. These two groups form the vast majority in the counter-terrorism data, far surpassing Pakistan (approx. 7%) and Algeria (approx. 6%) in third and fourth place. The remaining 12.7% of suspects are of other nationalities or have their identities undetermined.
Female Suspects and “Foreign Fighter Returnees” Draw Attention
Beyond nationality and geographical distribution, gender and mobility backgrounds are also crucial dimensions in counter-terrorism research. Data shows that in 2025, a total of 6 women were arrested by security forces for alleged involvement in jihadist activities; since 2015, a cumulative total of 58 women in Spain have been implicated in such cases.
Among these special groups, “returnees” who have spent time in conflict zones are particularly noteworthy. Recently, a Syrian returnee named Loubna Mohamed Miludi was arrested. It is reported that she traveled to Syria in 2014 and married an extremist. After the jihadist was killed in action, Loubna and her son remained in a detention camp controlled by Kurdish forces for nine years. Her complex extremist background presents new challenges for the authorities’ counter-terrorism assessments and subsequent security measures.
