Feature: German women live for 13 months at Cyprus airport

Two German women have made a real life version of Tom Hanks' movie "The Terminal" by living at Larnaca International Airport on the southeastern Cyprus shores for more than 13 months.

Adamos Aspris, the airport's spokesman, said the women arrived at the airport on Aug. 12 last year, when the Israeli authorities expelled them after the expiry of their permit of stay.

But instead of continuing their flight to Germany, they disembarked and have been living in the car park ever since, making use of the airport's utilities.

In the movie, inspired by Karimi Nasseri, who lived in Charles de Gualle airport for eight years, Tom Hanks portrays a man who is stuck at JFK airport because he is denied entry in the United States and cannot return to his imaginary country because of a revolution.

But unlike Hanks' hero, the two women stay there on their own will and simply refuse to accept help either from the airport authorities or the government services to go back to Germany.

They also turned down assistance from the German embassy here for returning home.

They only want to go back to Israel. They once traveled there, but were sent back.

"We offered them facilities to return to Germany. But for reasons which they refuse to explain, they insist on living in the premises of the airport," Aspris told Xinhua.

But he added that the middle aged mother and her young daughter "are not very friendly" when they are offered help and prefer to live "here and there."

This means finding accommodation in cars abandoned in the airport parking. They sometimes sleep on the floor in sleeping bags and occasionally enter the terminal building to make use of the toilets.

They move their few belongings around using an airport cart.

The airport authorities have requested assistance from the government to safeguard that the women do not loiter and that they do not present an unseemly picture.

But authorities seem to prefer to let them stay there.

"Forcing them out without any place to go would not have any meaning and it would probably pose a danger for their security. On the other hand, there is not any legal base to force them out as they did not break any law," said Larnaca city's chief of police Philippos Vrontos.

Authorities cannot deport them either as they are European Union citizens.

Airport authorities are careful not to give any reasons to be charged for inconsiderate behavior. They allow them inside the terminal to protect themselves either from the rain or from extreme temperatures in the summer.

Vrontos said the women receive a remittance from home, using the money to buy food and occasionally some clothing.

Members of the staff at the airport say that they occasionally see them washing in the women's toilets. But they turned them out when they tried to have a shower as this would fill the place with water and could cause a nuisance to travelers. Endit