Police in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta fired warning shots into the air on Monday as hundreds of migrants attempted to enter a temporary reception facility at Loma Colmenar, in the latest sign of mounting pressure on the city’s overstretched infrastructure.
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
The increasingly tense situation in the Spanish enclave on the North African coast reached another critical point this morning, when hundreds of migrants, many of them from the Maghreb, attempted to enter a temporary reception facility in Loma Colmenar at the same time.
Large numbers of people had spent the night outside the secured site, hoping to obtain one of the available places in the tents erected there.
According to reports from the scene, the situation deteriorated after some people managed to enter the facility. Those who had been waiting outside then began moving forward simultaneously, creating a sudden surge towards the entrance.
People were pushed against one another and scuffles reportedly broke out within the crowd as the pressure increased.
Officers from Spain’s National Police were deployed in significant numbers in an attempt to regain control of the area. As tensions escalated, police eventually fired warning shots into the air as a deterrent.
No suggestion has been made that the shots were fired directly at the crowd.
💥 Disparos frente a un centro de acogida en Ceuta.
Pelotas de goma y cargas policiales en Ceuta: cientos de inmigrantes intentan tomar al asalto el campamento de Loma Colmenar
📲 ¡Síguenos para disfrutar del mejor contenido! pic.twitter.com/6yrEFoVumx
— Vozpópuli (@voz_populi) August 31, 2026
Police clear the area
Following the confrontation, officers began clearing people from the immediate surroundings of the reception facility.
Roads and access points around Loma Colmenar were temporarily restricted in an effort to prevent further groups from gathering outside the site. Many of those who had been waiting there were forced to leave carrying their belongings.
The confrontation had been building for several days. Growing numbers of migrants had established themselves around the temporary facility, effectively creating an improvised camp along the access road.
Its location has added to concerns among local residents. Residential areas and Ceuta’s University Hospital are nearby, meaning that the difficulties surrounding accommodation are increasingly affecting the city’s infrastructure as well as becoming a question of public order.
🔴‼️ Tensión en Ceuta durante la mañana de este lunes entre los inmigrantes y la Policía en Loma Colmenar: cientos de ellos quieren acceder al embolsamiento para ocupar las tiendas
La apertura de las puertas para ocupar nuevas plazas ha provocado una acumulación de personas en… pic.twitter.com/yqVUkV0eSx
— EL ESPAÑOL (@elespanolcom) August 31, 2026
Hundreds transferred from the coast
Some of those gathered at Loma Colmenar had previously been moved from the Trampolín beach area.
The Spanish authorities established the temporary site as part of efforts to provide shelter for people who had been living outdoors in extremely difficult conditions following the recent large-scale arrival of migrants in Ceuta.
Around 400 people were reportedly admitted to the facility on Monday. Once the planned capacity had been reached, however, many more remained outside.
It was among those unable to enter that the situation subsequently deteriorated.
The incident highlights one of the central problems facing the authorities: accommodation is being created under considerable pressure, but demand for places continues to exceed the space immediately available.
Ceuta struggles to contain a prolonged crisis
Ceuta, a Spanish territory of roughly 85,000 inhabitants bordering Morocco, has been under exceptional pressure since the large influx of migrants at the end of July.
Additional temporary accommodation has been established, security has been reinforced and migrants have been moved between different locations across the enclave. Despite those measures, significant numbers of people continue to remain outside formal reception facilities.
Monday’s scenes at Loma Colmenar demonstrated how quickly the situation can deteriorate when large crowds gather around accommodation with limited capacity.
For the police, the challenge is increasingly complex: maintaining public order and keeping essential roads and facilities accessible while also preventing injuries among people packed into large and sometimes agitated crowds.
The use of warning shots on Monday provides a stark indication of just how strained the situation has become.
For residents, migrants and the authorities alike, the most difficult question remains how long the present circumstances can continue.
For now, there appears to be no immediate solution — and Ceuta faces the prospect of living with the consequences of the crisis for some time yet.
