The Homeless People of Heathrow Airport



Is that a stranded traveler sleeping on the couch in a Heathrow airport terminal? Nay, that’s Michael, one of about a hundred homeless people who call the London airport home. Some of them have suitcases in order to better "blend in" with the real travelers:

Over the past three months, it has been discovered that 111 people are sleeping permanently at Heathrow, and the numbers are growing - 20 homeless are believed to be living at Gatwick and more are expected.

Airports are seen as warm, comfortable havens and safer than sleeping rough. Yet charity workers say the homeless have to play a 24-hour-a-day cat-and-mouse game to avoid detection by police and airport security and being thrown out onto the streets.

Peter Mansfield-Clark, a director of the charity Crawley Open House, based near Gatwick airport, explains: ‘These people take a rucksack with them with a change of clothes. They use the toilet areas to wash or shave and make themselves look tidy.

‘They’ll often be in travel gear, so they appear as if they’re waiting to go off somewhere or have just come back. If you look the part, you’ve a chance of being able to sleep without anyone disturbing you.’

Some of the homeless deliberately put on floral shirts, as though they are about to fly to a holiday in the sun, to help escape suspicion.

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Posted on June 1, 2008 at 1:58 am by Alex
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13 comments to "The Homeless People of Heathrow Airport"

  • aware
    June 1st, 2008 at 2:26 am

    how do they get IN the areas where travelers sit/wait/sleep? how do they get past security?

  • Evil Pundit
    June 1st, 2008 at 4:10 am

    One man has been stranded at a French airport since 1988. There’s even a movie about him.

  • Ajan
    June 1st, 2008 at 6:37 am

    Whoa! Looks like the London authorities have found a vent for their feelings… nice to know that!!

  • Miss Cellania
    June 1st, 2008 at 7:30 am

    aware, I’ve not been to Heathrow, but most airports have HUGE waiting areas pre-security. If you’re waiting for someone on a delayed flight, or have a long layover and want access to the outside world, they have plenty of restaurants and shops to suck your money.

  • CheeseDuck
    June 1st, 2008 at 7:48 am

    How do they get food..?

  • @
    June 1st, 2008 at 8:48 am

    the click is ticking until they decide to disappear homeless people and turn them into soylent green. you wait, the governments around the world have done far worse.

  • Ali S.
    June 1st, 2008 at 9:46 am

    From living in England for about 2 years or so and going through Heathrow Airport several times I have to say this is odd to hear about. The minute you enter the airport you’re pretty much being checked by security and ticket checks regularly. So to have folks who can just get in and not be stumbled upon either shows the ineptitude of the security detail or they got in through a hidden loop in the system. Still disturbing because that means folks who would want to do some damage can get in some way.

  • DOJ
    June 1st, 2008 at 8:42 pm

    the problem could be solved with a 2,000 mile fence

  • Barbwire
    June 1st, 2008 at 10:22 pm

    With that much ingenuity, you’d think they could get work. But maybe they enjoy the vagabond life.

  • ted
    June 2nd, 2008 at 7:11 am

    Yeah, Heathrow is pretty intense security. After going through the metal detector, the guard frisked me rather intimately. I just figured he was copping a brief feel.

    Seems a little hard to believe.

  • Sid Morrison
    June 2nd, 2008 at 4:23 pm

    Are the prisons all full?

  • fiona
    August 16th, 2008 at 4:59 am

    These are people who need help,it could happen to anyone,we should all think about this happening to a family member,we,ll do everything in our power to help them,i am praying for them,i am a barn-again christian and with God on my side i intend getting the homeless people of the streets and helping them get back on track coz when they do,they in return start working and it helps everyone.God bless you all.

  • jane
    August 16th, 2008 at 5:09 am

    Hello everyone,please this is very serious,these people must be desperate and need support.They probably made some mistakes but who hasn,t,we should think of a way to pull together,you have a job now but don,t know what the future holds,i heard about an incident where a young man lost all his family in a car crash and became an alcoholic/homeless for years but a lady offered him shelter,clothes and food.today that man is a teacher.for those of you who dont know the lord,get a bible and you,ll find true love.Remain blessed.

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