Iranian man dies after living in Paris airport for 18 years

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13th Nov, 2022. 07:53 pm
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Mehran Karimi Nasseri moved to Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport in 1988.
His story served as basis for 2004 movie The Terminal starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
He passed away of natural causes a few weeks ago, an airport official said.

An Iranian guy who spent 18 years residing in a Paris airport has passed away. Mehran Karimi Nasseri, who was in a precarious diplomatic situation, moved into a small part of the Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport in 1988.

His story served as the basis for the Tom Hanks-starring 2004 movie The Terminal.

After receiving permission to reside in France, Mr. Nasseri returned there a few weeks ago, when he passed away of natural causes, an airport official told media.

Mr. Nasseri, who was born in the Iranian province of Khuzestan in 1945, first took a flight to Europe in order to find his mother.

After being ejected from nations such as the UK, the Netherlands, and Germany for not possessing the proper immigration documents, he spent a while residing in Belgium. He subsequently travelled to France and settled down in the 2F Terminal of the airport.

He spent his days writing about his life in a notebook and reading books and newspapers while curled up on his bench, surrounded by trolleys filled with the things he had accumulated.

The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones, was directed by Stephen Spielberg after his story gained the attention of the world’s media.

After the film’s release, journalists flocked to speak with the man who had inspired a Hollywood movie. At one point, Mr. Nazzeri, who called himself “Sir Alfred,” was giving up to six interviews a day, Le Parisien reports.

Despite being granted refugee status and the right to remain in France in 1999, he stayed at the airport until 2006, when he was taken to hospital to be treated for an illness. He then spent time living in a hostel using the money he had received for the film, French newspaper reports.

Mr. Nasseri returned to the airport a few weeks ago, where he lived until he died, an airport official said.

He was found with several thousands euros in his possession, the official added.

Iranian man dies after living in Paris airport for 18 years

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