Inside Spain's 'zombieland' airport dubbed 'hidden city' as homelessness takes over

One of the busiest airports in Europe is trying to support hundreds of .

Photographs taken recently at show homeless people attempting to rest in terminals, which make up what has now been branded "a zombieland" airport. Armed police patrol the hub, which caters for more than 60million tourists every year, but one officer even warned a journalist this week to "be careful".

Madrid-Barajas Airport has now turned into a so-called "hidden city" with the rough sleepers, ranging in age from early 30s to late 60s, seeking shelter there. One woman in her 60s said: "I got robbed and lost all my documentation, so I have been scraping by and flitting around ever since. Basically, the little money I have isn't enough to live on outside of the airport."

So the airport is, in many cases, a sanctuary in the northeast of the Spanish capital. They turn in for the night at around 7.30pm, after which time images and videos were taken. They show kind-hearted staff, including police, engaging with the sleepers as the airport tries to ensure the homeless don't come to any harm.

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Up to 500 homeless are thought to cram into the terminals each night. Some stories are heartbreaking, including that of a 67-year-old man who now has no home. The man told : "I was in full-time employment for 50 years. I lost my job and I've no pension left. That's how I ended up in this situation."

A police officer told a reporter with the publication: "Be careful... It can be dangerous here – this is zombieland." Yet, despite the "hidden city" emerging, no conflict has been reported.

In contrast, at Palma de Mallorca's Son Sant Joan airport this week. Carlos Heriberto Beltran Perdomo, a 45-year-old man, who is believed to be among dozens sleeping rough at the airport, later appeared in court over the attack.

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Madrid-Barajas Airport, which caters for several airlines including Ryanair, Iberia and Wizz Air, is in the busy capital, and only around eight miles from the bustling city centre. It is understood homeless extends across the city in Spain, a nation with the highest unemployment rate in Europe.

While tourism is hugely important to the country's economy, it and its sustainability presents challenges. Authorities on the Balearics, which include Majorca and Menorca, . Those with a huge social media followings plugged attractions which have failed to enter the tourist limelight - but it seems the plan worked too well.

For example, after a slew of TikTok and influencers started raving about Caló des Moro, an incredible bay tucked away in the, an insufferable amount of tourists were flocking their en masse.