Nasseri fled his country after Iran experienced an economic depression and various social problems due to the 1979 revolution and the eight-year Iran-Iraq war. As reported by the NY Post, in 1988, Nasseri left Iran to seek asylum in London and start a new life. However, at that time he did not find a direct flight from Iran to London, but had to transit in Paris.

The immigration authorities asked Nasseri to prove his citizenship, and he got lost in the labyrinth of bureaucracy. The reason why Nasseri couldn't prove his citizenship is unclear. Nasseri accuses that he was expelled from Iran in 1977 for participating in a protest against the ruler at that time, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

This has caused the refugee status to be recognized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Belgium. However, subsequent investigations refuted this claim and showed that Nasseri was not actually expelled from Iran. In 1988, Nasseri's papers were reported missing when his briefcase was stolen. There are conflicting reports about this incident, with some sources indicating that Nasseri may have intentionally sent his documents to Brussels while traveling to the UK and mistakenly claimed that the documents were stolen.

Confused and angry, Nasseri finally flew back to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Upon arrival, he was asked to produce documents but he couldn't provide what was requested. Nasseri found himself in a unique predicament, without any form of identification, he essentially had no citizenship, thus he couldn't enter France or return to Iran.

He made an emergency camp for himself at the airport terminal, using benches, seating areas, and other available spaces to sleep and store his belongings. He has become a familiar sight to airport staff, who often interact with him and help him get food and other necessities when needed. He eats McDonald's hamburgers almost every day.

"He spends his time reading books, newspapers, and magazines, which he obtains from the airport shop and tourists passing through the terminal. He is also involved in writing, keeping a journal, and taking notes about his experiences and thoughts. He can usually be found at his favorite place, the Paris Bye Bye bar, where he smokes and observes people."

After years of bureaucratic tug-of-war, Nasseri was finally granted refugee status in the early 2000s. However, he refused to sign the new status documents and chose to remain living in the airport. In the 1990s, airport doctors expressed concern about Nasseri's physical and mental health. They described Nasseri as someone who had become a "fossil (turned into stone) here."