# Merhan Nasseri **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 6, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merhan-nasseri/102204 "2002-04-06T19:36:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![trythepie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@trythepie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trythepie)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merhan-nasseri/102204/1 "2002-04-06T19:36:07Z")
A while ago Cecil discussed Merhan Nasseri, the guy stick in a Paris airport because of passport problems. With today’s strict airport security, do they still allow him to stay? Do other contries have as strict a policy as we do now? ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merhan-nasseri/102204/2 "2002-04-06T20:05:37Z")
Last I heard, the French authorities offered him everything he needed to leave the airport, including the paperwork necessary to either stay in France or head to another country. He turned them down. I read somewhere that he seems to have a few _mental problems_ at this time, which I can imagine a lot of us would have after all he’s been through. So, as far as I know, he’s free to go now, but chooses not to. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merhan-nasseri/102204/3 "2002-04-06T20:21:44Z")
[Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/travel/airline/airport.htm) says he was offered french residency and an international travel card (whatever that might be) in 1999, but refused them because the paperwork lists his nationality as Iranian and he wants to be British. ---
**Author:** ![trythepie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@trythepie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trythepie)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2002, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merhan-nasseri/102204/4 "2002-04-07T16:46:35Z")
But are other airports around the world increasing their security as much as America’s? It seems that here noone would be allowed to just sit around and do nothing in an airport. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2002, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merhan-nasseri/102204/5 "2002-04-07T22:49:31Z")
Many airports (not sure about CDG in Paris) have their concourses outside of the area where only passengers are allowed. In other words, you can grab a burger, newspaper, and pack of smokes without ever going through the screening process. I’m guessing I could probably hang out in one of larger ones for at least a week (yeah, I’d take sponge baths and change clothes :)) before drawing too much suspicion. If CDG is the same way, and since Merhan is quite well known in the airport, I’m guessing he doesn’t raise too many eyebrows from security.