As housing costs surge in Madrid, a growing number of homeless individuals are finding refuge inside Barajas Airport, Spain’s busiest airport, where sleeping rough has become a common reality. Victor Fernando Meza, a 45-year-old Peruvian, works during the day but cannot afford the skyrocketing rents in the capital. With an average monthly rent nearly doubling over the past decade to 1,300 euros for a modest apartment, many like Meza are forced to spend nights in the airport’s terminals.
Meza arrives before 9:00 pm, the new cutoff time to enter the airport without a boarding pass—a measure introduced recently to discourage overnight stays. Despite the policy, many still choose the airport as a safer alternative to sleeping on the streets or in overcrowded shelters, citing the lack of capacity in social housing facilities. “We just want to be treated like people, not animals,” Meza told AFP, emphasizing the need for dignity over eviction.
The situation has sparked a blame game between government bodies. The airport operator, Aena, a state-owned company controlled by the central government, insists that responsibility for social care lies with Madrid’s local government. Conversely, Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida argues that Aena, under Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s administration, should take more responsibility. The city also claims most airport sleepers are foreigners eligible for Spain’s international protection system, complicating jurisdiction further.
A survey by a Catholic charity counted about 421 people sleeping rough at Barajas in March. Nearly half had stayed for over six months, and 38% were employed but unable to afford rent. Most leave the airport during the day, returning at night to find safety and shelter.
Both sides have agreed to commission a consultancy to profile those sleeping at the airport, with findings expected by June’s end. But for Meza and others, the prospect of “help” feels intrusive. “We don’t want help. We just want to be left alone,” he said, underscoring the human toll behind this growing crisis where soaring rents and limited social support push the vulnerable to seek refuge in one of Europe’s busiest airports.
