Buzz
Airports are far from being the ideal place to live. However, some individuals are forced to call them home, either due to immigration issues or a lack of alternative options. These stories highlight the struggles of those who spent extended periods—ranging from weeks to years—living in airports.
10. Zahra Kamalfar
In 2004, Zahra Kamalfar and her husband participated in a protest against the Iranian government and were both arrested. Two years later, Kamalfar was granted a two-day visit to her family, where she was informed that her husband had been executed. This news led her to make the difficult decision to flee the country.
Kamalfar secured fraudulent documents for her family and they boarded a plane to Canada, where her brother resided. Their journey required them to change flights in both Russia and Germany. While they were able to pass through the Russian airport, the German authorities identified the fake documents, leading to the family’s deportation back to Russia.
Although the Russian authorities initially planned to send the family back to Iran, the Kamalfars had no travel or identification papers. The authorities attempted to coerce them into signing papers that would force their return to Iran. The family was then relocated to a public area of the airport's travel lounge, where they slept on the floor, used the bathrooms to clean themselves, and relied on donated meals.
Kamalfar applied for refugee status through the United Nations but was initially denied. After appealing the decision, she and her children were granted refugee status. After spending 10 months trapped in a Russian airport, they were finally allowed to emigrate to Canada.
9. Feng Zhenghu
In 2009, Feng Zhenghu traveled to Japan for medical treatment. When he tried to return to China, he was denied entry. He booked another flight, only to face the same refusal. Zhenghu attempted to return home eight times in total—four times he was sent back by China, and on the other four occasions, he was not allowed to board the plane. After his final attempt, he chose not to enter Japan and instead decided to wait at the airport until Chinese authorities permitted his return.
Zhenghu's situation was complicated by his role as a human rights activist. He had written several critical articles about the Chinese government, reporting on violations by government officials and compiling extensive reports on over 430 cases of civil rights abuses in China.
Zhenghu's time at the airport was far from comfortable. For the first few days, he survived solely on tap water as Japanese authorities refused to accept his money for food. He had to rely on the generosity of strangers for sustenance. While many people offered him goods, nothing could ease his uncomfortable sleeping arrangements. Zhenghu had to rest on a steel bench, only able to sleep between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM due to the constant bustle of the airport.
After 92 days of waiting in the Japanese airport, Feng Zhenghu was finally allowed to return to China. However, his homecoming was far from a warm reception. He was placed under constant surveillance for a year, had his phones and computers confiscated, and was later placed under house arrest.
8. Mohammed Al-Bahish
In 2013, Palestinian Mohammed al-Bahish met a woman while on vacation, and the two made plans to marry. Al-Bahish then booked a flight to Kazakhstan, where his girlfriend lived. They went to register their marriage plans, only for al-Bahish to discover that his refugee travel documents were missing and his Kazakh visa had expired.
He flew to Turkey in an attempt to renew his Kazakh visa, but was turned away at the border and sent back to Kazakhstan. Without a valid visa, the Kazakh authorities refused to allow him entry. He was also left without any other options, as Israel barred him from traveling to the Palestinian territories.
Al-Bahish found himself confined to the airport, where he was held in a small, windowless room furnished with a bunk bed and a sofa. Airport security watched his every move, allowing him little freedom. Whenever he was permitted bathroom or coffee breaks, he was always escorted by security guards.
Al-Bahish spent a grueling five months stranded in the airport before finally being granted asylum in Finland. During his wait, he began learning Finnish in preparation for the arrival of his girlfriend.
7. Kokoba De Jacques
Kokoba de Jacques, a refugee from Ivory Coast, spent several months traveling before settling in Morocco. In 2012, he registered as an asylum seeker and was granted permission to stay in the country.
Two years later, de Jacques requested permission to leave, which was approved. He spent four days visiting fellow refugees in Mauritania before returning to Morocco. However, upon his return, airport officials refused him entry. Despite presenting proof of his residence and financial means, they still denied him entry.
De Jacques found himself stranded in the airport. He was confined to the transit zone and was not allowed to retrieve his luggage. With only €100, he spent it all on food, and after three weeks, his money ran out. Airport staff provided him with bread and cheese to eat.
Fortunately, de Jacques had his computer and was able to communicate with relatives. He contacted a lawyer, who took his case to court, resulting in an order for his release. However, the airport authorities ignored the court's ruling for a week. After 43 days of sleeping on cardboard boxes, de Jacques was finally freed, without any explanations or apologies.
6. Anthony Delaney
In 2004, Anthony Delaney lost both his job and his home. Struggling to find new employment, he fell into desperation, surviving on just £236 a month from the government—far from enough to meet his needs. Rather than face homelessness on the streets, Delaney took refuge in a local airport, where he made his home, sleeping, eating, and showering there. He only left the airport to collect his Jobseeker's Allowance.
Airport officials were not pleased with Delaney’s unconventional living situation and banned him from the premises. However, the airport provided the only shelter he could rely on to stay “clean, dry, and warm.” Despite multiple arrests, the courts initially showed sympathy for his situation. But when it was revealed that he had been caught shoplifting CDs and admitted to stealing passengers' luggage, the courts' stance changed. Delaney served a few months in jail and returned to the airport after his release.
After over three years of living in the airport, Delaney was arrested for the fifth time. The judge gave him a year to get his life in order, threatening imprisonment if he didn’t comply. This time, Delaney was able to make significant changes. He found an apartment, started a relationship, and secured a job.
5. Fadi Mansour
In 2012, Fadi Mansour fled Syria to escape the civil war and avoid mandatory military service. He sought refuge in Turkey but soon realized that Syrians were not allowed to work legally there. He began planning his next move as a result.
Mansour purchased a forged passport and boarded a flight to Germany. However, during a layover in Malaysia, authorities discovered the passport was counterfeit. He was promptly sent back to Turkey, but Turkish officials attempted to return him to Malaysia. Malaysia refused him entry, and he was sent back to Turkey once again.
Mansour was held in the Problematic Passengers Room, a cramped, windowless area where he was confined with 40 other detainees. There was no privacy, no beds, and minimal comfort. One of the detainees disagreed with Mansour’s religious beliefs and attempted to incite others to kill him. Mansour was attacked on three separate occasions.
After enduring the attacks, Mansour attempted to escape the airport. He successfully boarded a flight to Lebanon, but Lebanese officials caught him and sent him back to Turkey.
Ultimately, Mansour spent an entire year in the Turkish airport. It wasn’t until Australia granted him asylum that he finally saw relief. He was reunited with his family, who had also been given humanitarian visas.
4. Sanjay Shah
Sanjay Shah, a resident of Kenya, sought to move to England. He was eligible for a British Overseas citizen passport, having been born in Kenya during its colonial era. Shah had the right to apply for full citizenship but failed to complete the necessary paperwork before departing for England in 2004.
Upon arriving in England without a return ticket and with very little money, airport officials, assuming he intended to stay, stamped ‘prohibited immigrant’ on his passport and sent him back to Kenya.
However, Shah had already renounced his Kenyan nationality, as Kenya does not permit dual citizenship. He had given up his Kenyan passport before leaving the country. Shah feared that leaving the airport would lead to his arrest and imprisonment, as he was told by Kenyan officials that he could exit the airport, but he worried this would jeopardize his chances of obtaining British citizenship.
Shah remained at the airport, surviving on cafeteria meals, sleeping in lounge chairs, and using the restrooms to shower. His wife and son visited regularly, bringing him food and clothing. After enduring 13 months in the airport, Shah was granted full British citizenship. He then traveled to England, where he stayed with his sister until he was able to support himself.
3. Mehran Karimi Nasseri
In the 1970s, Mehran Karimi Nasseri was expelled from Iran. After a brief stay in Belgium, he decided to move to England, where he had previously studied. He boarded a plane to England with a stopover in France, but he lost his refugee documents when his briefcase was stolen. He reached England but was sent back to France. Unfortunately, French authorities refused him entry without his papers but also refused to let him leave. They instructed him to remain in the airport lounge while they sorted out his situation. He waited for years.
Nasseri made the airport's basement shopping area his home. He claimed two red benches that were large enough to offer some comfort while he slept, along with pillows and sheets. During the day, he would sit on the bench, observing people passing by. Many were moved by his plight, offering him donations of food and money. He received numerous books and newspapers, which helped him pass the long hours.
After spending 11 years in the airport, a lawyer finally succeeded in securing travel documents for Nasseri. He was allowed to reside in France or travel elsewhere. However, he refused to sign the documents because they identified him as Iranian; Nasseri believed that he was partially British. He chose to remain in the airport for another seven years.
In 2006, Nasseri fell ill and was hospitalized. Upon his release, the Red Cross took care of him and placed him in a hotel. He was not permitted to return to the airport.
2. Ahmad Family
Hasan, Gulistan, and their four children lived in Syria. When their city was attacked by multiple suicide bombers in 2015, they decided to escape the country. The four oldest family members held Iraqi passports, but the two youngest did not. The family obtained Syrian passports based on Hasan's nationality.
They planned to travel to Russia, where Gulistan’s sister resided. The family received Russian visas and boarded their flight. Upon arriving in Russia, however, Russian officials claimed the visas were fake. Then, they said the passports were counterfeit, confiscated them, and accused the family of attempting to cross the border illegally. Russia rejected their asylum request.
The Ahmads found themselves trapped in the airport. They set up a temporary home in an abandoned smoking cubicle, a glass-enclosed space next to the waiting lounge. They were not allowed to leave. If they had stepped out of the airport's transit zone, they would have been committing an illegal border crossing, risking arrest and up to six years in prison.
The Ahmads had to rely on the compassion of strangers to survive. People offered them food, water, money, and toys for the children. Their living conditions were dire, and Gulistan became ill. She was hospitalized, but two police officers were stationed outside her ward to guard her.
Out of sympathy, someone paid for the family to stay at a nearby hostel, but Russian authorities would not allow them to remain there during the day. Syrian officials later verified the family's passports. The family was granted temporary asylum and recognized as refugees. After 50 days in the airport, they were allowed to stay legally in Russia.
1. Hiroshi Nohara
In 2008, Hiroshi Nohara, a Japanese tourist, was on a flight to Brazil. After a layover in Mexico, he missed his connecting flight. Instead of leaving the airport, he decided to remain there. Nohara had money and a return ticket, but his goal was simply to stay in the airport.
As weeks passed, Nohara still refused to leave. Both Japanese and Mexican authorities attempted to persuade him to depart, but he stood firm. They couldn’t compel him to leave, as his actions weren’t illegal. His visa allowed him a six-month stay in Mexico, and there were no regulations barring him from staying in the airport.
Initially, Nohara unnerved the other passengers, but eventually, people began to embrace him. They brought him food and drinks, and he became a bit of a local icon. Tourists took pictures with him and asked for autographs. During interviews, he stated that he had no specific reason for staying at the airport.
After three months in the airport, a woman named Oyuki felt sorry for him and offered him the opportunity to sleep in a proper bed. Nohara accepted her offer and left the airport with her.
