The man arrived at the Paris airport to board a flight. Instead, he lived there for the next 18 years | World News
For years, travelers passing through Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport would encounter a man who seemed to belong to the terminal as much as to the passengers, boarding passes and waiting area around him. Mehran Karimi Nasseri has lived at the airport for nearly 18 years, turning a small space near Terminal 2F into a place of routine, reflection and survival. His unusual situation began with a complex immigration ordeal that prevented him from moving freely between countries. Although Nasseri eventually left the terminal, his connection to the airport never completely disappeared. Decades later, the place that once trapped him became the end of his extraordinary journey.
Mehran Karimi Nasseri traveled from Iran in 1945 and spent 18 years in prison paris airport
Nasseri was born in Iran’s Khuzestan Province in 1945. He left his homeland at a young age to find his mother and began a journey across Europe.He spent some time in Belgium before trying to build a life in other European countries. However, he repeatedly encountered difficulties because he did not have the required immigration documents. Authorities in countries including Britain, the Netherlands and Germany refused to allow him to stay, forcing him to move on. Eventually, Nasseri reached France. Instead of finding a place to settle permanently, he got into a complicated legal mess that left him stranded at Charles de Gaulle Airport.
How Nasseri turned a Paris airport terminal into his daily residence
Inside the airport, Nasseri developed a routine around the only environment available to him. His belongings were stored in a luggage cart next to him, and a bench near the terminal became his main living space.He spent hours writing in his notebook, reading newspapers, and observing the endless activity of travelers around him. Although thousands of people pass through the airport every day heading to different destinations, Nasseri remains in the same place.Airport staff gradually became familiar with him. He was no longer just a passenger waiting for his flight. He became a fixture in daily life at the terminal.His situation attracted the attention of reporters, who were fascinated by the story of a man living at one of the busiest airports in the world. Nasseri often introduced himself as “Sir Alfred,” the name he used during his tenure there, the South China Morning Post reported.
Computer: South China Morning Post
How Nasseri maintains his airport home after his legal battle ends
Nasseri’s legal situation eventually changed. In 1999, he was granted refugee status and allowed to stay in France, the South China Morning Post reported.Gaining the ability to leave the airport didn’t immediately end his unusual lifestyle, however. He remained at Charles de Gaulle until 2006, when health problems caused him to be admitted to hospital.After leaving the terminal, Nasseri stayed in a hotel for some time. His story remains unusual because the airport is more than just a place where he was stranded. For nearly two decades, it has become the center of his daily life.
Finally return to Charles de Gaulle
After years away from the terminal, Nasseri returned to Charles de Gaulle a few months before his death.He died of natural causes at the airport in November 2022, according to airport officials. Thousands of euros were reportedly found among his belongings.His life is tied to a remarkable image: a man sitting in an airport while the world continues to spin around him. But behind this image is a complex story about immigration, legal uncertainty and the search for belonging.
