Spain Bars Dutch Jihadists from Andorra Ski Trip over Terror Links

Spanish authorities intercepted five young Dutch nationals suspected of Islamist terrorism links two years ago, preventing their entry into Andorra for a skiing trip.

Police detained the group at Barcelona's El Prat airport on 27 January 2023 after security alerts triggered during checks. The individuals, mostly born in 1992 and residing near Arnhem in the Netherlands—with some hailing from places like Afghanistan—were part of a larger travelling party. They faced immediate expulsion and a 10-year ban on entering Spain, a measure issued on 10 October 2022 following an alert from Spain's General Commissariat of Information.

The decision, upheld by Spain's National Court's contentious-administrative chamber in recent rulings, stemmed from the men's alleged ties to the "Arnhem group," a suspected jihadist network active in the Dutch city since 2013. Authorities linked the cell to efforts to recruit and train fighters for Syria, with connections to Al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusrah (JaN). One detainee carried an Interpol alert from the US, while another was the brother of two men fighting with JaN in Syria at the time.

The network had reportedly renewed its ranks in 2021 after losses, including from a 2018 Dutch operation that dismantled a plot to bomb a crowded event and follow up with gunfire. The five were investigated for belonging to a terrorist band, with suspicions some were prepared to travel to Syria.

Their lawyers challenged the ban, arguing a lack of evidence, insufficient justification, and violations of EU free movement rights, while claiming the group simply planned an annual ski outing to Andorra. Courts rejected the appeals, citing well-founded national security and public order concerns that override EU mobility principles for such cases.

The episode emerged through court documents accessed by reporters, highlighting ongoing vigilance against cross-border terror threats near Andorra's borders.