FRANCE: IRANIAN-BORN REFUGEE WHO HAS SPENT 11 YEARS LIVING IN PARIS'S CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT MAY SOON BE ABLE TO LEAVE

Record ID: 501282

  • Title: FRANCE: IRANIAN-BORN REFUGEE WHO HAS SPENT 11 YEARS LIVING IN PARIS'S CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT MAY SOON BE ABLE TO LEAVE
  • Date: 15th July 1999
  • Summary: CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT, ROISSY, FRANCE (JULY 15, 1999) (REUTERS) WS EXTERIOR CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT AND CONTROL TOWER LV PLANES TAKING OFF MV IRANIAN-BORN REFUGEE KARIMI NASSER MIRAN KNOWN AS "ALFRED" ENTERING TERMINAL SV "ALFRED" IN DEPARTURE HALL SV "ALFRED STANDING IN FRONT OF AIRPORT SIGN CLOSE-UP SIGN SCU SOUNDBITE (English) IRANIAN BORN REFUGEE "ALFRED" SAYING : "I think nobody can live in such a situation. I'm a unique immigration case. I have appealed to two, three, four governments. Some appeals granted, some refused." SLV CUTAWAY TO PEOPLE IN CAFE SCU SOUNDBITE (English) "ALFRED" SAYING : "Since 1988 I came from Belgium. I could not return to Belgium. In France they refused to issue new status of political refugee. Then I stayed in transit, sometimes out of detention, sometimes in detention. Then they agreed to release me inside the airport. I came first thing to the airport because I had a flight ticket to London. But it was a day return because London refused entry." SV ALFRED SHOWING HIS DOCUMENTS
  • Embargoed: 30th July 1999 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ROISSY, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: General,Quirky,Politics,Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVA1V4L0WSU31Y5Q2PMT9258AZH8
  • Story Text: An Iranian-born refugee who has spent 11 years living in Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport may soon be able to leave in search of a new home.
    Fifty-year-old Karimi Nasser Miran - better known to airport staff as "Alfred" - took up residence on a plastic bench in the airport's shopping mall in 1988 when he was refused entry to Britain because he had no papers.France also refused him entry.
    All of his wordly goods are contained in boxes and bags on an airport cart and he has spent his days listening to the radio, reading the newspaper and writing down his thoughts.
    He was in his 20s when he left Iran after his father died to search for his biological mother, whom he believes is Scottish.
    After failing to trace her in Britain, he returned home in 1975 only to be stripped of his citizenship for protesting against the regime.But Britain refused to let him back in, so he tried unsuccessfully to enter Russia, Germany and the Netherlands, from where he was expelled to neighbouring Belgium.There he stayed for five years while the Belgian authorities traced his birth certificate and gave him documents declaring he was stateless.
    Miran says that the documents were stolen in 1988 in Paris where he spent a short time in jail for having no papers.He has lived at the airport ever since, and friendly airport staff give him food and ensure that he receives his mail and is treated by the airport doctor.
    He washes and shaves in the airport restrooms.
    On July 2 the Belgian government gave him a copy of the lost document and granted him refugee status.They were prepared to pay his ticket there.But Miran prefers to apply for residence papers in France.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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