Merhan Karimi Nasseri

Mehran Karimi Nasseri, also known as Sir, Alfred Mehran (the comma is intentional), is an Iranian refugee who has been living in the departure lounge of Terminal One in Charles de Gaulle Airport since August 8, 1988.

Wandering through Europe alone

Returning to Europe, he applied for asylum in Berlin, West Germany, and the Netherlands in 1977 but was rejected. Then in 1978, he applied in France but was rejected again; he later lost an appeal. The same thing happened in Yugoslavia. In 1979, he applied in Italy but was unsuccessful. He tried France again in 1980 and lodged an appeal again after it was rejected; the appeal itself was later rejected. His application to emigrate to the United Kingdom was rejected, and he was not allowed to enter the country at Heathrow Airport. Nasseri was expelled from the United Kingdom, so he tried to enter West Germany again, but he was expelled to the Belgian border before Belgium accepted him.

Related Topics:
Europe - Asylum - Berlin - West Germany - Netherlands - 1977 - 1978 - France - Appeal - Yugoslavia - 1979 - Italy - 1980 - Emigrate - Heathrow Airport - Belgian

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On October 7, 1980, his request for asylum was granted by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Belgium. Nasseri lived in Belgium until 1986, when he decided to move to the United Kingdom. He claimed that he was mugged, and his shoulder bag stolen while waiting at the RER platform to go to Charles de Gaulle Airport to take a flight to Heathrow. Nasseri managed to board the plane, but when he arrived at Heathrow without the necessary documentation, Heathrow officials sent him back to Charles de Gaulle. Nasseri was unable to prove his identity or his refugee status to the French officials and so he was moved to the Zone d'attente (waiting zone), a holding area for travellers without papers.

Related Topics:
October 7 - 1980 - United Nations High Commission for Refugees - Belgium - 1986 - Mugged - RER

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