Mehran Karimi Nasseri, also known as Sir Alfred Mehran, was an Iranian refugee who lived in the departure lounge of Terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle Airport from 26 August 1988 until July 2006, when he was hospitalized.
Nasseri alleged that he was expelled from Iran in 1977 for protests against the Shah and after a long battle, involving applications in several countries, was awarded refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Belgium.
This allegedly permitted residence in many other European countries. However, this claim was disputed, with investigations showing that Nasseri was never expelled from Iran.
Nasseri’s story provided the inspiration for the 1993 French film Tombés du ciel, starring Jean Rochefort, internationally released under the title Lost in Transit.
His autobiography was published as a book, The Terminal Man, in 2004. Nasseri’s story inspired the 2004 film The Terminal.
Mehran Karimi Nasseri Cause of Death
Mehran Karimi Nasseri, an Iranian man whose time living in Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport inspired the Steven Spielberg film “The Terminal,” died of a heart attack Saturday in the airport’s Terminal 2F.
His death was confirmed by the Associated Press, which wrote that police and medical professionals were ultimately unable to save Nasseri. The report indicates that officials stated that Nasseri had been living in the airport again in recent weeks.
Nasseri, who also went by the name “Sir Alfred,” lived in Terminal 1 of Charles de Gaulle Airport. He first settled in the space in 1988 after Great Britain refused him political asylum as a refugee, despite stating that he had a Scottish mother.
After declaring himself stateless, his residency in the airport became a deliberate choice. Nasseri reportedly always kept his luggage by his side, spending time reading, writing diary entries and studying economics. He first left the airport when he was hospitalized in 2006, 18 years after first settling in the terminal.