At Naples airport for more than a month, 30-year-old who says he is Swedish cannot even remember his name

At Naples’ Capodichino Airport, a man of about 30 has spent more than a month without documents, money or personal belongings. He says he is from Sweden, but cannot remember his name, how he arrived in Italy or any other details of his life.

Described as neat in appearance and very polite, he stays at the airport for almost all of its opening hours, from 3:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. At night, he tries to find shelter in the surrounding area, while the airport has become the only place he can stay.

His story calls to mind Tom Hanks’ character in the film “The Terminal”, a man stranded at an airport. According to the Italian newspaper “La Repubblica”, the young man has become a familiar presence at Capodichino. Employees at the shops and businesses there have reached out to him: some give him food, others clean clothes, while others have provided personal hygiene products.

The closure of Naples airport on November 1 for runway maintenance has made his situation even more difficult. The airport is not expected to reopen for about 30 days, leaving it unclear where the young man will stay during that time.

Pierluigi Petrone, Sweden’s honorary consul in Naples, has also met him. He told “La Repubblica” that they had spoken briefly in English and that the young man had told him only that he was Swedish and could remember nothing about his identity. According to Petrone, he is well-mannered and has caused no trouble, but it remains unknown how he arrived there or why he continues to stay at the airport.

Border Police are also involved in efforts to establish his identity and have sent a communication to the Swedish embassy in Rome. In the official document, he is described as a “suspected Swedish citizen” who has been at Naples airport for several days.

Petrone has called on members of the public who recognize the young man from photographs to help identify him. The aim is for him to contact his family and, if possible, return to them. So far, his identity, how he ended up in Naples and where his home is remain unknown.