As dusk approaches at Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport quietens down for the night.0:32
Night cleaners begin their shifts, and passengers waiting for delayed flights curl up on benches in the departure hall.0:38
One woman, Eram Dar, has found a cozy spot on the floor next to a vending machine.0:47
There is nothing to distinguish her from the waiting passengers around her, except that she has no passport and ticket and is in no hurry to leave the terminal.0:53
For well over a year now, it has been her home, and she isn't the only one.1:02
Eram is one of well over 100 people who live permanently at Heathrow Airport.1:08
Most people would have difficulty in telling these permanent residents of Heathrow apart from the thousands of travelers that pass through the terminals each day.1:14
Wheeling suitcases full of their only belongings, they dress in Hawaiian-style holiday shirts or even business suits in order to give the impression that they are on a business trip or flying to a sunny destination.1:23
Erem, a middle-aged ex-law student who became homeless after she could no longer pay her rent, actually considers herself fortunate to live in Heathrow.1:37
She says, I liked it here immediately.1:46
I have never felt lonely because there are so many people.1:50
I don't mix much with the other homeless, although they are of all ages and from every walk of life.1:54
We all recognize each other, but I just like to keep to myself.2:01
There are showers in every terminal where Erem can stay clean and presentable.2:06
She can sometimes help herself to food passing by the caterers and while away her time reading magazines and newspapers left behind by passengers.2:10
It's difficult not to suspect that Erem is just putting on a brave face.2:20
It's hard to believe she's truly satisfied with this way of life.2:25
Once a week, she travels to London to pick up a cheque for £60 from a charity.2:29
The cash goes nowhere, she says.2:34
Buying food at the airport is expensive.2:37
I don't eat anything at breakfast because if I do, it makes me feel more hungry.2:40
Living in Heathrow isn't easy for Erem.2:45
Besides being awakened by the jangle of coins as a passenger buys something from the machine, loud announcements, and bustling passengers, she has to engage in a full-time cat-and-mouse game with the police and security staff.2:48
It's illegal to sleep at Heathrow unless you have a flight to catch.3:02
So, along with the rest of Heathrow's homeless population, Erem has to wash and change her clothes every morning in order to not stand out from the crowd and be detected.3:06
If she is, she faces a night in the cold bus terminal, or worse, being thrown out into the rain.3:17
The builders who work overnight at the airport are very kind and don't report the homeless to the authorities, she says.3:23
The cleaners turn a blind eye too.3:30
Night workers aren't the only ones trying to help this unusual group of people.3:33
Broadway, a homeless charity, visits the airport weekly to offer the airport's homeless temporary accommodation, help to get travel documents for migrant workers, and attempt to reconnect people with their families.3:39
But, as a Broadway worker points out, homelessness is a way of life.3:53
It can be very difficult to convince people to receive help.3:58
Like the passengers escaping to sunny holiday destinations, Many of Heathrow's homeless are also in search of escape from debts, legal problems, or family responsibilities.4:02
The saddest fact is that unless they are arrested or fall ill, many of Heathrow's homeless will stay there for the foreseeable future.4:13
I don't really see a different future, Eram Dar admits.4:23
In fact, I could be living at Heathrow forever.4:27
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