Mehran Karimi Nasseri Biography
(Refugee)
Born: 1942
Born In: Masjed Soleiman, Iran
Mehran Karimi Nasseri is an Iranian refugee who literally lived at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport from August 1988 until July 2006. Also known as Sir, Alfred Mehran (the comma isn’t a typo), Mehran’s story is one of a kind, and so fascinating that Steven Spielberg actually made a hit movie based upon his experiences - Remember ‘The Terminal’? The reason behind him spending almost two decades at Terminal 1 of the Charles de Gaulle Airport is that he wasn’t allowed by the authorities to step out of the airport. He had lost his passport as well as other documents, while he was on his way to London from Paris, and thus, wasn’t allowed to enter the country. He, therefore, returned to Paris, but since he had no legal documents, he was arrested by the officials as soon as he reached Paris. However, since he had entered Paris legally, he was released but had nowhere to go. The only place he could legally stay was at the departure lounge of Terminal one of the airport, and so he did. From that moment, he became the man with no country - claimed by no one.