The deportation of the multi-national crew detained aboard the vessel Bandero in Iceland has stalled because each crew member’s nationality triggers a different legal process, Icelandic authorities have confirmed. Officials say the mixed nationalities mean Iceland must follow separate bilateral and EU-adjacent procedures for each individual before any removal can proceed — a complication that could extend detention by days or weeks.
Key takeaways
- Iceland cannot deport all Bandero crew members at once — each nationality requires a separate legal process.
- The crew is multi-national, spanning several countries with different deportation treaty arrangements with Iceland.
- Icelandic law limits how long authorities can hold foreign nationals without a court order.
- The case remains connected to the broader Paul Watson extradition saga that drew global attention to Iceland in 2024.
- Authorities have not yet confirmed a departure date for any crew member.
Why is the deportation being delayed by the crew’s mixed nationalities?
Deporting a group of people who hold passports from different countries is rarely straightforward, and the Bandero case illustrates exactly why. Iceland must contact each person’s home country separately, confirm that country will accept the returning national, arrange travel documents where passports are not available, and — in some cases — obtain a specific deportation order from an Icelandic court.
When all detainees share one nationality, authorities deal with a single embassy and a single set of procedures. When nationalities differ, the process multiplies. Reports from both Iceland Monitor and Morgunblaðið indicate that at least some crew members hold passports from countries that do not have straightforward readmission agreements with Iceland, adding a further layer of negotiation before removal is legally possible.
Iceland is a Schengen member but not a full EU member state. That means Icelandic immigration authorities follow rules that align closely with EU frameworks for some nationalities — particularly EEA nationals — but must apply entirely different procedures for nationals of countries outside that framework. The result, in a case like this, is a patchwork of parallel processes running simultaneously.
Which countries are the Bandero crew members from?
Icelandic authorities have not officially published a full breakdown of the crew’s nationalities. Reports indicate the group is genuinely multi-national, with members holding passports from several different countries across more than one continent. Some are understood to be from European nations, while others are reported to be from countries further afield.
Because the full nationality list has not been confirmed by police or the Directorate of Immigration — Útlendingastofnun in Icelandic — IcelandNow is not publishing a speculative list. As details are confirmed by official sources, this article will be updated. What is confirmed is that the variation in nationalities is itself the core obstacle to a swift group deportation.
What legal process does Iceland have to follow to deport each nationality?
Iceland’s legal framework for deportation sits primarily under the Act on Foreigners (Lög um útlendinga), administered by Útlendingastofnun and, in enforcement, by the National Police Commissioner’s office. The broad steps for each individual are:
- Identity and nationality verification — authorities confirm the individual’s citizenship and check for any outstanding asylum claims or legal protections.
- Contact with the receiving country — Iceland’s immigration authorities notify the relevant embassy or consulate and confirm the home country will accept the person back.
- Travel document issuance — if the individual does not have a valid passport, an emergency travel document must be issued by the home country’s diplomatic mission.
- Deportation order — a formal administrative or judicial removal order is issued. Some cases require a court hearing; others can be handled administratively.
- Booking and escort — a flight is arranged, often with a police escort, and the individual is removed from Icelandic territory.
Each of these steps can take different amounts of time depending on nationality. An EEA national may be processed in days. A national of a country with no resident embassy in Reykjavík, and no readmission agreement with Iceland, could face a significantly longer wait — and in some cases, Iceland may need to coordinate through a third country or via diplomatic channels in Brussels or another European capital.
How long can Iceland hold the crew before they must be released?
Under Icelandic law, immigration detention is not open-ended. Authorities can hold a foreign national for a limited period while deportation is arranged, but continued detention beyond an initial short window requires a court order from the Reykjavík District Court — Héraðsdómur Reykjavíkur. The court must be satisfied that detention is necessary to ensure removal actually takes place and that the individual poses a flight risk or would otherwise obstruct the process.
In practice, detention orders are typically granted in stretches of a few weeks at a time, subject to judicial review. If the deportation process drags on and authorities cannot demonstrate active progress toward removal, a court can decline to extend detention — at which point the individual must be released, possibly under reporting conditions.
For a multi-national crew where some removal processes are moving faster than others, this creates an uneven situation: some crew members could be deported quickly while others remain detained waiting for their individual process to advance. Officials have not publicly stated how many crew members are currently subject to formal detention orders.
What happens next in the Bandero case?
The immediate next steps depend on how quickly each crew member’s home country responds to Iceland’s contact and whether emergency travel documents can be issued without delay. For crew members from countries with resident embassies in Reykjavík, that process may move relatively fast. For others, it will take longer.
The Bandero case does not exist in isolation. It follows the high-profile detention in Iceland of Paul Watson, the Sea Shepherd co-founder, who was held in Iceland in 2024 on a Japanese extradition request before being released after Denmark declined to extradite him. That case put Iceland’s handling of maritime activists under international scrutiny, and the Bandero situation has revived that attention. Several international media outlets are following the case closely.
Útlendingastofnun is the primary official source for updates on immigration enforcement. The National Police Commissioner’s office handles the physical removal. Neither had issued a new public statement at the time of publication, but both Iceland Monitor and Morgunblaðið reported fresh developments today suggesting the multi-nationality obstacle is now the central focus of official discussions.
IcelandNow will update this article as official information becomes available. For the latest on Icelandic immigration enforcement, the Útlendingastofnun website at uti.is is the authoritative source.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Bandero and why was its crew detained in Iceland?
The Bandero is a vessel whose crew was detained by Icelandic authorities in connection with activities under investigation. The case attracted significant media attention in Iceland and internationally, partly because of its connection to broader debates about maritime activism and Iceland’s legal obligations. Full details of the charges or grounds for detention have not been formally confirmed in public statements at the time of publication.
Is this case connected to Paul Watson?
The Bandero case has been reported alongside the broader story of Paul Watson, the Sea Shepherd co-founder who was detained in Iceland in 2024 on a Japanese extradition request. Watson was released after a lengthy legal process when Denmark declined to extradite him. The Bandero crew detention has renewed international focus on how Iceland handles cases involving maritime activists and complex multi-national crews.
Who oversees deportations in Iceland?
Deportations in Iceland are managed by Útlendingastofnun, the Directorate of Immigration, which handles the legal and administrative side. The National Police Commissioner’s office carries out the physical enforcement and removal. Continued detention beyond an initial period requires approval from Héraðsdómur Reykjavíkur, the Reykjavík District Court.
Can crew members challenge their deportation in Iceland?
Yes. Foreign nationals facing deportation from Iceland have the right to legal representation and can appeal removal orders through the Icelandic court system. In some cases they may also be entitled to lodge an asylum claim, which would pause deportation proceedings while the claim is assessed. The specific rights available depend on the individual’s nationality and circumstances.
Where can I find official updates on the Bandero deportation case?
The most authoritative official sources are Útlendingastofnun (uti.is) for immigration matters and the Icelandic National Police Commissioner (logreglan.is) for enforcement actions. Icelandic news outlets Iceland Monitor and Morgunblaðið are publishing regular updates on this fast-moving story.
